"Settler with links to Ben-Gvir identified in confrontation over Armenian land dispute in Jerusalem"

On the night of 4 November 2023, Armenian Christian residents organised a peaceful sit-in over the alleged “illegal” construction on Armenian Patriarchate land in East Jerusalem. The event turned confrontational, when Jewish settlers turned up armed with rifles and dogs, requiring the intervention of Israeli police.

The confrontation continued well into the next day, when representatives of Xana Gardens Ltd, the company that is leasing the land, also showed up.

The New Arab (TNA) Investigative Unit was able to determine that at least one individual present at the confrontation is an active member of the Israeli settlement movement. This individual is a US citizen who, in the past, has been put in ‘administrative detention’ in the aftermath of the Shefa-Amr terror attack of 2005. Today, he describes himself as a “hilltop settlement activist”, and is involved in Israeli-proscribed settlement activities in the West Bank.

We have attempted to contact Danny Rothman, the director of Xana Gardens, and the American settler, regarding the nature of their supposed ties. We have emailed Mr. Rothman’s lawyer, and tried to reach him over the phone. We have also emailed and messaged over WhatsApp the American settler. At time of publication, we have not received any response from them.

Settler groups’ ‘underhanded dealings’

Danny Rothman (also known as Danny Rubinstein), the “mysterious” Australian investor behind the deal with the Patriarchate, was present during the 5 November confrontation. According to Armenian website 301, he reportedly “demanded the expulsion of the Armenians” from the property...

Local Armenian residents questioned the true motives behind the deal. The homes of many residents, threatened by displacement, were allegedly included in the deal.

Palestinian Christians are increasingly being driven out of Jerusalem, sometimes through systematic attempts by settler organisations to take over church property.

In a communiqué from December 2021, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem stated that “radical groups continue to acquire strategic property in the Christian Quarter [...] often using underhanded dealings and intimidation tactics to evict residents from their homes.”

This was best exemplified in the case of the New Imperial Hotel and Petra Hostel in East Jerusalem; the Greek Orthodox Church sold these properties to Ateret Cohanim, a radical settler organisation based in the Old City’s Muslim Quarter.

The deal was mired with allegations of “delinquent behavior, which includes extortion and fraud,” according to the Church.

The true identity of the buyer was also kept secret through the use of shell companies. Nevertheless, after an almost two-decade long legal battle, multiple court rulings allowed the sale to go through.

Escalation

The presence of armed settlers on the Armenian Patriarchate’s leased land represents a substantial escalation between the local residents and Xana Gardens Ltd...

The investor and the far-right activist

Footage shared by Jerusalem’s Armenian community from 5 November, shows Saadia Hershkop, an American Jewish settler from Brooklyn, New York, standing in the vicinity of Mr. Rothman. According to a witness present during the standoff, Hershkop was very active that day...

Three witnesses independently confirmed that Hershkop was there, acting as a guard...

What’s next for the Armenian Quarter?

Since the incidents over the weekend, some of the residents have reportedly organised to watch over the Armenian Patriarchate’s property.

The Patriarchate, for its part, issued a communiqué on 6 November, stating that, after the 5 November altercation, “the two sides have agreed to disperse until the Patriarchate receives an answer to their sent [sic] cancellation letter.”

On the ground, however, escalation has continued. 

Residents of the Armenian Quarter reportedly erected a barricade across the entrance to the leased land on 12 November, after a picture of a bulldozer on site was shared within the local community.

On 13 November, “two bulldozers attempted to tear down the barricade” before backing down, according to 301 correspondent Kegham Balian.

As escalation is likely to continue, and with the prospect of a long legal battle ahead, fears of settler violence against the Armenian community in Jerusalem appear to be legitimate...