Jewish Extremist Spits on Armenian Priest in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter

A new disturbing incident in Jerusalem’s Armenian Quarter has drawn attention to ongoing tensions faced by the city’s Christian Armenian community. A Jewish extremist was filmed spitting on an Armenian priest in a public street, an act that quickly spread online after journalist Kegham Balian shared the video on social media platform X.

Balian reported the event and published the footage, showing the moment the priest was targeted while walking in the historic quarter of the Old City, an area that has been home to Armenians for centuries. The Armenian Quarter is one of the four traditional quarters of Jerusalem’s Old City and contains important churches, monasteries, and cultural institutions tied to the Armenian Apostolic Church.

In his post, Balian described the broader meaning of the incident and wrote, “This is the daily reality of Christian Armenians in the Holy Land,” Balian added. His words suggested that the episode was not isolated but part of a pattern of harassment and hostility experienced by members of the Armenian Christian community.

The video has circulated widely, prompting renewed discussion about religious intolerance and safety for minority communities in Jerusalem. Armenians, who maintain a long-standing presence in the city dating back more than a millennium, form a small but historically significant Christian population. Clergy and residents of the Armenian Quarter often move through areas shared with other religious groups, and past reports have noted periodic confrontations and verbal attacks involving extremists.

The latest case adds to growing concern among Armenians and other Christians about protecting holy sites, clergy, and ordinary residents. Community leaders have repeatedly called for authorities to ensure that all religious groups can live and worship without fear or harassment.

No official response or details about arrests were included in Balian’s report. The incident remains under public scrutiny as the video continues to spread and reactions mount online, highlighting the fragile inter-religious relations in one of the world’s most sensitive and sacred cities.

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