Post by Bozur on Apr 8, 2005 16:17:00 GMT -5
JERUSALEM JOURNAL
Mystery of the 2 Hotels Embroils Greeks, Jews and Arabs
By GREG MYRE and ANTHEE CARASSAVA
Published: April 4, 2005
Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times
In the Old City of Jerusalem, Orthodox Jews walked last weekend past the Palestinian-run New Imperial Hotel, one of two hotels that were reportedly sold by the Greek Orthodox Church to Jewish investors abroad.
Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times
The Greek Orthodox patriarch, Eirinaios, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher Sunday.
JERUSALEM, April 3 - The suspected deed hardly seems the stuff of an international dispute: the Greek Orthodox Church, a major landowner here, reportedly sold two modest, Palestinian-run hotels in Jerusalem's Old City to Jewish investors from abroad.
The Greek patriarch, Eirinaios, has repeatedly denied the report. But his claims have met with deep skepticism, and the episode has touched some of the most sensitive nerves in the Holy Land, igniting a controversy that stretches far beyond the ancient stone streets of the Old City.
Palestinian politicians accuse the Greek Orthodox Church of selling prime real estate and assisting Israel in the ceaseless battle over the city that both sides claim as a capital. Palestinians in the Greek Orthodox Church have renewed charges that the Greek clerics are out of touch with the Arab clergy and worshipers.
The Greek government, which has close relations with the church, sent a committee here to investigate last month, and is now hinting that the patriarch should step aside. Jordan, with its historic ties to Jerusalem's Christian institutions, has twice summoned the patriarch for an explanation. The issue was even discussed at the Arab League summit meeting last month in Algeria.
As the dispute unfolds, Israel has been conspicuously silent, the mystery investors remain unidentified, and the status of the hotels is not clear.
"This is a huge mess for everyone," said Abu Walid Dajani, a Palestinian Muslim who runs the New Imperial Hotel, one of the two hotels involved. His family has rented the hotel from the Greek Church since 1950, and Mr. Dajani, 60, fondly recalls skipping school as a boy to help his family take care of its guests.
"I have been hurt, and I don't know what will happen here," he said, adding that he knew nothing of any sale until reports appeared in the Israeli news media. "But this is much bigger than me. This is an issue for all the Palestinians, and the larger region as well."
Mr. Dajani's 45-room hotel, and the nearby Petra Hotel, the other one involved, are just a few paces inside Jaffa Gate, one of the main entrances to the walled Old City in East Jerusalem, and just off Omar Ibn al-Khattab Square.
The hotels cater largely to Western backpackers and Christian pilgrims on a budget, but have been mostly empty during the last four and a half years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting.
Maariv, a leading Israeli newspaper, reported March 18 that the Greek Church had quietly sold the land and the buildings for several million dollars to Jewish investors who live outside Israel. "Omar Square is in our hands," the newspaper declared.
For years, wealthy Jewish investors in Israel and abroad have sought to purchase East Jerusalem properties. The aim is to bolster the Jewish presence in the traditionally Arab part of the city, and increase the likelihood that the land would be part of Israel in any political settlement.
Israel annexed East Jerusalem after capturing it from Jordan in 1967, but the move has never been recognized internationally. While no Israelis were living in East Jerusalem in the years before the war, they now outnumber Arabs there, according to the Israeli government.
Still, more than 200,000 Palestinians live in East Jerusalem and, with rare exceptions, have refused to sell their property. The same is true for the Greek Orthodox Church, which owns large tracts of land in Israel and the Palestinian areas that have been accumulated over centuries.
Patriarch Eirinaios insists that he was not part of any land sale. But he does not discount the possibility that an unauthorized transaction took place without his knowledge.
"I would like to confirm that I did not carry out any property deal, and I confirm that even if such a thing took place through fraud or any other manner, then we will coordinate with the legal consultants to annul these illegal measures," he said Thursday in Amman, Jordan.
Patriarch Eirinaios, a frequent target of criticism since assuming his position in 2001, blamed unidentified rivals seeking to oust him for the latest uproar.
The other key figure in the case is Nikolaos Papadimas, 32, who was a financial manager for the church until he disappeared several months ago. Greek officials are seeking his arrest on suspicion that he embezzled huge sums from the church.
In an interview from an undisclosed location with the Greek newspaper Eleftherotypia, Mr. Papadimas said he had arranged long-term leases on the properties with the patriarch's blessing.
"I was only following orders, but I sold nothing," Mr. Papadimas was quoted as saying. "I only signed long-term leases, and Eirinaios was fully aware."
After a fact-finding mission by Greek government officials, George Koumoutsakos, a Foreign Ministry spokesman in Athens, suggested Wednesday that the patriarch should "rise to the occasion, reflect the seriousness of the situation and assume his historic responsibilities."
The Greek government team was unable to gather details of the reported property sale, "because the patriarchate failed to produce specified data," Mr. Koumoutsakos said.
The Greek government report, which was obtained by The New York Times, says Patriarch Eirinaios acknowledges giving power of attorney to Mr. Papadimas in May 2004 to administer the lease on one shop in East Jerusalem.
"Mr. Papadimas subsequently altered the content of that document, according to the patriarch, to afford himself greater powers; to contract long-term leases," the report says.
Palestinian leaders, meanwhile, says the episode could further inflame passions over Jerusalem.
The Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qurei, called it "a most dangerous affair."
"Israel is mistaken if she thinks she can change the Arab and Christian character of the Holy City by such measures," Mr. Qurei said.
Before the latest controversy, the Greek Church was already in a delicate position here, facing criticism from both the Israelis and Palestinians in recent years.
Most Christian churches in the Holy Land increasingly rely on Palestinian or other Arab clerics to lead their Arab followers. But the Greek Church, with a following of 100,000 Orthodox Arabs, continues to be dominated by Greek clerics in this region, creating friction.
A group of Palestinians recently removed the church's Greek flag outside the patriarchate and hurled insults at the patriarch outside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, at the place where tradition holds that Jesus was crucified and entombed.
Patriarch Eirinaios was chosen for his post in 2001 after a campaign rife with allegations of corruption, threats and forged documents.
Israel initially objected and withheld recognition, apparently viewing him as too close to the Palestinians. Now it is Palestinian and Jordanian officials who have raised the possibility of withdrawing support for the patriarch, moves that could greatly undercut his standing.
The patriarch has given no indication that he intends to resign despite the mounting pressure. On Thursday, he made his second trip to Jordan last week, and met the interior minister, Samir Habashneh.
Afterward, the minister said the patriarch had pledged to "refrain from any action that would result in authorizing the sale of church property in Jerusalem or elsewhere in the Palestinian territories and Israel."
Despite losing control of the West Bank in the 1967 war, Jordan has maintained a custodial role for Christian and Muslim religious sites.
Greg Myre reported from Jerusalem for this article, and Anthee Carassava from Athens.
Mystery of the 2 Hotels Embroils Greeks, Jews and Arabs
By GREG MYRE and ANTHEE CARASSAVA
Published: April 4, 2005
Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times
In the Old City of Jerusalem, Orthodox Jews walked last weekend past the Palestinian-run New Imperial Hotel, one of two hotels that were reportedly sold by the Greek Orthodox Church to Jewish investors abroad.
Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times
The Greek Orthodox patriarch, Eirinaios, at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher Sunday.
JERUSALEM, April 3 - The suspected deed hardly seems the stuff of an international dispute: the Greek Orthodox Church, a major landowner here, reportedly sold two modest, Palestinian-run hotels in Jerusalem's Old City to Jewish investors from abroad.
The Greek patriarch, Eirinaios, has repeatedly denied the report. But his claims have met with deep skepticism, and the episode has touched some of the most sensitive nerves in the Holy Land, igniting a controversy that stretches far beyond the ancient stone streets of the Old City.
Palestinian politicians accuse the Greek Orthodox Church of selling prime real estate and assisting Israel in the ceaseless battle over the city that both sides claim as a capital. Palestinians in the Greek Orthodox Church have renewed charges that the Greek clerics are out of touch with the Arab clergy and worshipers.
The Greek government, which has close relations with the church, sent a committee here to investigate last month, and is now hinting that the patriarch should step aside. Jordan, with its historic ties to Jerusalem's Christian institutions, has twice summoned the patriarch for an explanation. The issue was even discussed at the Arab League summit meeting last month in Algeria.
As the dispute unfolds, Israel has been conspicuously silent, the mystery investors remain unidentified, and the status of the hotels is not clear.
"This is a huge mess for everyone," said Abu Walid Dajani, a Palestinian Muslim who runs the New Imperial Hotel, one of the two hotels involved. His family has rented the hotel from the Greek Church since 1950, and Mr. Dajani, 60, fondly recalls skipping school as a boy to help his family take care of its guests.
"I have been hurt, and I don't know what will happen here," he said, adding that he knew nothing of any sale until reports appeared in the Israeli news media. "But this is much bigger than me. This is an issue for all the Palestinians, and the larger region as well."
Mr. Dajani's 45-room hotel, and the nearby Petra Hotel, the other one involved, are just a few paces inside Jaffa Gate, one of the main entrances to the walled Old City in East Jerusalem, and just off Omar Ibn al-Khattab Square.
The hotels cater largely to Western backpackers and Christian pilgrims on a budget, but have been mostly empty during the last four and a half years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting.
Maariv, a leading Israeli newspaper, reported March 18 that the Greek Church had quietly sold the land and the buildings for several million dollars to Jewish investors who live outside Israel. "Omar Square is in our hands," the newspaper declared.
For years, wealthy Jewish investors in Israel and abroad have sought to purchase East Jerusalem properties. The aim is to bolster the Jewish presence in the traditionally Arab part of the city, and increase the likelihood that the land would be part of Israel in any political settlement.
Israel annexed East Jerusalem after capturing it from Jordan in 1967, but the move has never been recognized internationally. While no Israelis were living in East Jerusalem in the years before the war, they now outnumber Arabs there, according to the Israeli government.
Still, more than 200,000 Palestinians live in East Jerusalem and, with rare exceptions, have refused to sell their property. The same is true for the Greek Orthodox Church, which owns large tracts of land in Israel and the Palestinian areas that have been accumulated over centuries.
Patriarch Eirinaios insists that he was not part of any land sale. But he does not discount the possibility that an unauthorized transaction took place without his knowledge.
"I would like to confirm that I did not carry out any property deal, and I confirm that even if such a thing took place through fraud or any other manner, then we will coordinate with the legal consultants to annul these illegal measures," he said Thursday in Amman, Jordan.
Patriarch Eirinaios, a frequent target of criticism since assuming his position in 2001, blamed unidentified rivals seeking to oust him for the latest uproar.
The other key figure in the case is Nikolaos Papadimas, 32, who was a financial manager for the church until he disappeared several months ago. Greek officials are seeking his arrest on suspicion that he embezzled huge sums from the church.
In an interview from an undisclosed location with the Greek newspaper Eleftherotypia, Mr. Papadimas said he had arranged long-term leases on the properties with the patriarch's blessing.
"I was only following orders, but I sold nothing," Mr. Papadimas was quoted as saying. "I only signed long-term leases, and Eirinaios was fully aware."
After a fact-finding mission by Greek government officials, George Koumoutsakos, a Foreign Ministry spokesman in Athens, suggested Wednesday that the patriarch should "rise to the occasion, reflect the seriousness of the situation and assume his historic responsibilities."
The Greek government team was unable to gather details of the reported property sale, "because the patriarchate failed to produce specified data," Mr. Koumoutsakos said.
The Greek government report, which was obtained by The New York Times, says Patriarch Eirinaios acknowledges giving power of attorney to Mr. Papadimas in May 2004 to administer the lease on one shop in East Jerusalem.
"Mr. Papadimas subsequently altered the content of that document, according to the patriarch, to afford himself greater powers; to contract long-term leases," the report says.
Palestinian leaders, meanwhile, says the episode could further inflame passions over Jerusalem.
The Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qurei, called it "a most dangerous affair."
"Israel is mistaken if she thinks she can change the Arab and Christian character of the Holy City by such measures," Mr. Qurei said.
Before the latest controversy, the Greek Church was already in a delicate position here, facing criticism from both the Israelis and Palestinians in recent years.
Most Christian churches in the Holy Land increasingly rely on Palestinian or other Arab clerics to lead their Arab followers. But the Greek Church, with a following of 100,000 Orthodox Arabs, continues to be dominated by Greek clerics in this region, creating friction.
A group of Palestinians recently removed the church's Greek flag outside the patriarchate and hurled insults at the patriarch outside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, at the place where tradition holds that Jesus was crucified and entombed.
Patriarch Eirinaios was chosen for his post in 2001 after a campaign rife with allegations of corruption, threats and forged documents.
Israel initially objected and withheld recognition, apparently viewing him as too close to the Palestinians. Now it is Palestinian and Jordanian officials who have raised the possibility of withdrawing support for the patriarch, moves that could greatly undercut his standing.
The patriarch has given no indication that he intends to resign despite the mounting pressure. On Thursday, he made his second trip to Jordan last week, and met the interior minister, Samir Habashneh.
Afterward, the minister said the patriarch had pledged to "refrain from any action that would result in authorizing the sale of church property in Jerusalem or elsewhere in the Palestinian territories and Israel."
Despite losing control of the West Bank in the 1967 war, Jordan has maintained a custodial role for Christian and Muslim religious sites.
Greg Myre reported from Jerusalem for this article, and Anthee Carassava from Athens.