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Published
by The National Herald,
March 20, 2005
Greek
Orthodox church investigating reported sale
of land to Jews |
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JERUSALEM Mar 20 (Associated
Press) - The Greek Orthodox Church is investigating
a reported sale of sensitive Jerusalem property to
Jewish organizations, a church official said
Sunday, as Palestinian Christians demonstrated.
The reported sale has sparked an uproar among
Palestinian followers of the church, who accuse
the Greek leadership of betraying the Palestinian
cause.
Dozens of faithful staged a protest in Jerusalem
on Sunday, calling Patriarch Eireneos a
"collaborator" and demanding his resignation.
Palestinian church leaders have also demanded that
he step down.
The controversy erupted after the Israeli daily
Maariv reported Friday that the church had sold
properties in the predominantly Arab sector of the
walled Old City of Jerusalem. The Old City is home
to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites.
A land sale to Jews in east Jerusalem, while
legal, would be seen as a betrayal to
Palestinians. The Palestinians claim the eastern
part of the city, which includes the Old City, as
the site of a future capital. Israel, which
captured east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967
Mideast War, claims the entire city.
Archbishop Aristarchos, the chief secretary of the
patriarchate, declined to confirm or deny whether
the sale had taken place.
"This is an unfortunate event. We are
investigating," he said. "We shall try to cancel
whatever actions have been done illegally."
In a statement, the church said any sale that
might have taken place was unauthorized, adding an
arrest warrant had been issued in Greece for a
former employee allegedly involved in the case.
During Sunday's protest, several dozen people
gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher the
traditional site of Jesus' crucifixion and
resurrection and marched to the Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate, chanting slogans and carrying signs
such as "no to Judaize Jerusalem" and "We will not
rest until the patriarch is fired."
"What is more difficult than witnessing the sale
of Jerusalem?" said Ellen Kashram, a deputy school
principal who joined the crowd.
When the patriarch left morning Mass, about 10
people started heckling him and calling him a
collaborator. Eireneos did not comment.
After a brief standoff with the Israeli police,
Palestinian representatives of the church who were
leading the protest met privately with the
patriarch's aides.
Nabil Mshahwar, chairman of the Arab Orthodox
Council of Jerusalem, said church leaders denied
any connection to a land sale and said they
suspect fraud.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate represents about
100,000 faithful in the Holy Land.
The church is one of the biggest property owners
in Jerusalem, including large tracts of real
estate inside the Old City. It also shares control
of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher with other
Christian denominations.
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