GAZA
CITY, March 20, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The sale of Palestinian
properties in Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) by the Greek Orthodox
church to Jewish investors has raised fresh calls to “Arabize” the
patriarchy amidst increasing accusations of corruption.
“It
is high time we Arabized the church though it is difficult because it
is currently 100% Greek, protected by Israel and recognized by Jordan
and the Palestinian Authority,” Hanna Omera, a member of the
Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee, told
IslamOnline.net on Sunday, March 20.
“We
must take concrete steps to press ahead with the Arabization drive
through forming a Palestinian department to run the church’s
properties.”
On
the land sale report, Omera said it is very “realistic.”
“Because
the church properties are leased for 99 years [to Jewish investors],
which is, in effect, a ruse to sell the land and a grim reminder of
other bargains that gave up church’s properties to Jews,” he said.
Omera
cited the 1995 sale of the 70km Jabal Abu Ghoneim land near Al-Quds to
Jews, who built a large settlement on it.
On
Friday, March 18, Israel's Maariv newspaper reported that
foreign Jewish investors had paid millions of dollars to buy two large
properties at Jaffa Gate, the main entrance to Al-Quds’s Old City,
in a secret deal with the Greek Orthodox church.
The
properties currently house two hotels managed by two well-known
Palestinian families and a row of shops selling tourist trinkets.
The
Palestinians say purchasing property in the Old City is part of a
major Israeli scheme to Judaize the holy city.
A
source close to the Greek Orthodox patriarchy denied on Friday that
the church was unaware of the land sale and that “an internal
investigation” was underway.
Palestinian
Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei assigned a committee of ministers, MPs,
Arab Orthodox leaders and lawyers with investigating the matter.
Distrustful
 |
|
“He
(the patriarch) is Judas because he is selling the land of the
Christians to the Jews,” said one Christian protester. (Reuters)
|
Omera
said there is a growing popular drive calling for restricting the
authorities of the “distrustful” Greek patriarch, Irineos I.
“The
Greek church should be stripped of the right of managing properties of
the Palestinian Christians either because it is distrustful or
incapable of shouldering this responsibility,” he told IOL.
Marwan
Al-Tubasi, the head of the executive committee of the Arab-Orthodox
conference, said the Greek should raise their hands off the properties
of the Arab Orthodox Christians.
He
said the “suspicious bargain” is not the first and endangers the
Muslim-Christian identity of Al-Quds as well as preempt the
final-status peace talks on the holy city.
On
March 1, a number of Arab Orthodox priests demanded Irineos I to step
down, accusing him of making the church a breeding ground for
corruption.
They
further charged him with having “direct links” with the Israeli
intelligence service Mossad.
Arabs
represent some 90 percent of the Greek church’s followers, though
they are not allowed to assume the patriarchy, which is exclusive to
the Greek.
The
church owns some 18 percent of West Jerusalem, 17 percent of Al-Quds
and 3 percent of the cities of Al-Lad, Al-Ramla, Yafa, and Haifa.
Yes
to Arabization
In
a related development, up to 400 Palestinian Christians demonstrated
in Al-Quds on Sunday to protest the land sale.
The
protestors marched from the Holy Sepulchre Church to the Greek
Orthodox patriarchy holding aloft Arabic and Greek placards
proclaiming: “Keep the Church for the Orthodox Arabs,” and “Yes
to the Arabization of the Church.”
Hundreds
of people crowded into an ally outside the patriarchy chanting: “We
are the Arab Orthodox Church” and “This is our land,” reported
Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“He
(the patriarch) is Judas because he is selling the land of the
Christians to the Jews,” said Tareq Kreitem, a 30-year-old engineer.
“This
will have a very bad impact on Muslim-Christian relations in Jerusalem
because the Muslims will accuse us of selling land to the Jews,”
said Hani Qorei, 45, an Orthodox Christian.
“We're
not demonstrating because we're Christians but because we're
Palestinians. It is a political issue. He is selling our land to the
enemy,” added Elle Tarazi, 69.
