An Armenian priest enters a church at the monastery compound in the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem's Old City June 8, 2010.
The Armenian community says the investor behind the land lease deal is an Australian-Israeli businessman Danny Rubinstein, who owns a company registered in the United Arab Emirates - Xana Capital Group.
Israel captured East Jerusalem, including the Old City, from Jordanian forces in a 1967 war.
"We are aware of a plan to encircle the outside the Old City with settlement projects.
We suspect this Armenia Quarter deal is meant to be a continuation of this plan inside the city walls," Seidemann told Reuters.
Persons:
Ammar Awad, Danny Rubinstein, Rubinstein, Hagop Djernazian, Daniel Seidemann, Seidemann, Crispian Balmer, Andrew Heavens
Organizations:
REUTERS, Armenian, Synod, Roman Catholic Churches, United Arab Emirates, Xana Capital, Catholic, Jerusalem's, Reuters, Thomson
Locations:
Jerusalem's Old, Jerusalem, JERUSALEM, Old City, Ottoman, Australian, Armenia, James's, City, Israel, East Jerusalem, Jordanian