JERUSALEM, July 15, 2026: On July 3, 2026, a video by a Turkish public broadcast service, TRT World, was uploaded to YouTube and was circulated on social media (scroll to the bottom of the interview for video). This video drew renewed attention to reports of harassment and intimidation directed at Christian clergy, nuns, and members of the Armenian community in Jerusalem’s Old City. Given the significance of these developments, the Zoryan Institute sought the perspective of its Academic Board Member, Prof. Bedross Der Matossian, one of the leading scholars of the modern history of Jerusalem and the Ottoman Empire.

Prof. Bedross Der Matossian was born and raised in Jerusalem and is a member of the city’s historic Armenian community. At the time of this interview, he was in Jerusalem, providing him with firsthand insight into the current realities facing the Armenian community.

K.M. Greg Sarkissian, President of the Zoryan Institute, conducted the following interview with Prof. Der Matossian to place the events from the video within their broader historical framework and contemporary context.

To read Prof. Der Matossian’s full interview with the Zoryan Institute on Scholar’s Corner, please click the following link: https://zoryaninstitute.org/scholar-corner/the-challenges-confronting-the-armenian-community-of-east-jerusalem-an-interview-with-prof-bedross-der-matossian/.