Greek patriarch leased property to Jews to win approval from Israel

JERUSALEM: The Greek Orthodox patriarch leased church property in Jerusalem to Jewish groups to prove to Israeli authorities that he does not sympathise with the Palestinians, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Sunday, citing the patriarch’s former financial manager, Nikos Papadimas. The alleged deal has infuriated Palestinians who fear it would expand Israeli control of traditionally Arab east Jerusalem, which they want as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Israel claims the whole city as its indivisible capital. Patriarch Irineos I has denied the allegations and accused Papadimas of embezzling church funds. For two years the Israeli government had refused to approve Irineos’ election as patriarch, suspecting him of being anti-Israel and having close ties to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died in November. But in January 2004, Israel suddenly confirmed Irineos in his post and shortly afterward, the church leader signed over two Palestinian-inhabited buildings in Jerusalem’s walled Old City to an anonymous Jewish lessee working through a company in the Bahamas, Papadimas was quoted as telling Haaretz. ap

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