Orthodox Patriarchate to renegotiate Jerusalem leases
By Haim Shapiro October, 28 2001
JERUSALEM (October 28) - The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate intends to renegotiate the leases on such prime pieces of church property as that on which the Knesset stands, but it does not intend to use such negotiations as a tool to upset the stability of the state, newly elected Patriarch Irineos said in the first interview granted to the Israeli media.
Irineos stressed that, as a spiritual leader, he does not intend to interfere in political matters. In the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, he said that violence and tension can only lead to an endless loop of bloodshed and human suffering. The only solution is an end to the violence and the resumption of negotiations.
"There is only one viable solution in every conflict between human beings: discussion and mutual concessions," he said.
The interview followed a particularly strong condemnation of terror issued by the patriarch following the assassination of tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi.
"We condemn this brutal act of hatred, which we consider as a direct attempt to assassinate the peace process in the Holy Land by extremists and cowards who are above all the enemies of their own people," he said.
Irineos issued a call for religious leaders of the world to gather in Jerusalem and "discuss our positions regarding the claims of the extremists that their brutal acts of terror are based on faith." It is the responsibility of men of God to condemn beyond any doubt the evildoers, irrespective of their religion, he said in his statement.
The patriarch pledged his support for the unity of Jerusalem. "Jerusalem, as every other city in the world, can only live and progress as a united city, living in peace and calm," he said.
Although his candidacy had initially been rejected by Israel, the patriarch denied rumors which had circulated at the time of the election that he had been close to the PLO. The purpose of such rumors had been to prevent his election, he said, and they had failed.
"I am not pro-Palestinian, nor pro-Israeli, nor pro-anything. I am only pro-God," he stressed.
In answer to the assertion that the bulk of his followers are Palestinians, the patriarch said that this is not necessarily the case. He is the spiritual leader, he said, of all Orthodox Christians in the Holy Land, including not only Arabs, but Romanians, Greeks, and an unspecified number of non-Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union, a group which sources in the patriarchate said could number hundreds of thousands.
At the same time, Irineos denied that senior positions in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate are not open to Palestinian priests. It is true, he explained, that married priests, which include many of the Palestinian clergy, cannot become bishops in any Orthodox church, but he added that there are some Palestinian priests who are unmarried.
Regarding the Church property, which includes vast tracts in Jerusalem, much of it on long-term leases, Irineos said that a team of experts is to examine all transfers of property, particularly during the past seven years. The goal of the patriarchate is to repossess as much land as possible, but at the same time it would act pragmatically, he said.
"We understand the importance of land ownership in the very sensitive pending geopolitical issues, especially regarding the future of Jerusalem," he said.
The patriarch made a point of promising that there would be no secret land deals in the future and he stressed that no one - of any religion, nationality, or political belief - would be able in the future to play "geo-strategical games," with the church's property behind its back.
