Police officers from Jerusalem's David precinct met with members of the Armenian church and community this week.
The meeting, led by Superintendent Aleh Harev, the Christian community policing liaison officer in the Christian Quarter, was held at the Armenian Patriarchate as part of preparations for a 2023 Easter event.
At the meeting, issues were discussed such as the need to address "friction" in the Armenian Quarter, as well as preparations for Easter and the Holy Fire.
The discussions emphasized maintaining public order amid incidents targeting Armenians and locating and prosecuting perpetrators of anti-Armenian crimes.
Incidents targeting Armenians becoming routine
The Jerusalem Post reported last week that incidents of harassment of Armenians - such as spitting at, cursing at and pushing Armenian priests - have become commonplace.
“Any damage to religious institutions and sites is serious and harms the unique and delicate fabric of life that exists in the city of all religions.”
Israel Police
The report noted that concern is growing among members of the community because of the failure of authorities to address the problem.
“We no longer want to file complaints with the police every time there is an attack because it’s clear to us that they won’t do anything about it anyway,” Armenian restaurant owner Miran Krikorian told the Post.
“As the police of all residents and visitors to Jerusalem, whether they are Jews, Muslims or Christians, we work against violence and acts of all vandalism, especially those that hurt religious sentiments,” representatives of the Israel Police said. “Any damage to religious institutions and sites is serious and harms the unique and delicate fabric of life that exists in the city of all religions.”
Several members of the community who attended the event expressed their gratitude toward the police.
The police vowed to continue to maintain security and order.
Peggy Cidor contributed to this report.