Two civil court suits were filed today against the appointment of the anti-Semitic Greek Orthodox Church leader Irineos as Church Patriarch. One of the petitioners, who has requested anonymity, was represented by well-known Atty. Dan Avi-Yitzchak.
The Cabinet voted, 11-6, to approve Irineos' appointment this past Sunday, after having received a recommendation by a ministerial committee - by a 3-2 vote - to approve it. Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev, a member of the committee, said that "weighty economic considerations" also played a part in the decision, "which should have been based only on national, political and security considerations."
Arutz-7's Shimon Cohen reports that the Court can either block the appointment outright, freeze it, or reject the suits.
Ministers Orlev and Sharansky voted against the recommendation in the committee, while Ministers Sheetrit (Likud) and Lapid (Shinui), who had long favored the appointment, were finally joined by Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who had wavered for a long while before deciding to support it. Orlev told Arutz-7 that ministers close to Prime Minister Sharon exerted great pressure on Shalom.
A major issue in the deliberations was the anti-Semitic tone taken by Irineos in two letters to Yasser Arafat. Irineos claims that the letters were forged, and a police investigator was supposed to have met with the committee on this topic. At the last minute, however, she received instructions from Police Commissioner Aharonishki to transfer a message instead, saying that Irineos' seal is authentic, but that there's no way of authenticating with certainty the text written above it.
Arutz-7's Shimon Cohen, however, quotes an affidavit provided to a Greek Magistrates Court judge on Sept. 9, 2003, by one of three witnesses to the writing of one of the letters. The witness said: "I had a strong argument with Mr. Irineos on the content of this letter [such as] the language and the expressions against the Jewish people and Israel, and also about the necessity of sending such a letter to Yasser Arafat. I explained to him that this letter stands in total contrast to his previous behavior and declarations regarding his attitude towards Israelis and Israel. Similarly, it is very damaging to his own interests... Despite my sharp objections to this, the Metropolite Irineos insisted that this letter would have a very strong echo in order to pressure Israel to restore his name to the list of candidates [for Patriarch]."
As head of the Greek Orthodox Church, considered the richest in Israel, Irineos would be responsible for its extensive land holdings, including the land on which the Knesset was built, the Prime Minister's and the President's official residences, parts of Jerusalem's wealthiest neighborhoods, locations in the Old City and in the new Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa, and land in Ramle and Lod. It has been widely reported that Irineos promised to give Arafat church property in Jerusalem as a gift.
Orlev said that he continues to object to the appointment of Irineos because of the "black cloud that is still hanging over his head regarding his loyalty to the State of Israel... The Patriarch is not only a religious leader, but also someone who owns very important Israeli lands - why should we take the risk? With one decision, he could change the status of lands on a tremendous scale, and thus harm our status in Jerusalem and elsewhere."
Asked why, then, Minister Shalom voted to approve the appointment, Orlev said that he cannot answer for Shalom. "However," he said, "I will say that Israel has now entered into an unnecessary escapade that indicates governmental weakness."
"Another thing that worries me is that two years ago, all the professional elements, such as the Shabak and the police, objected to Irineos - but now, suddenly, none of them are willing to open their mouths... All of a sudden, no one has an opinion - not the police, not the Shabak, not the Prime Minister's Office, and not the Jerusalem Municipality. This is very mysterious."
Orlev was asked whether, in his opinion, "real estate elements close to the Prime Minister are the ones who are pushing for the appointment." Orlev said, "Questions of this nature must be directed to the Prime Minister himself."
The Cabinet voted, 11-6, to approve Irineos' appointment this past Sunday, after having received a recommendation by a ministerial committee - by a 3-2 vote - to approve it. Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev, a member of the committee, said that "weighty economic considerations" also played a part in the decision, "which should have been based only on national, political and security considerations."
Arutz-7's Shimon Cohen reports that the Court can either block the appointment outright, freeze it, or reject the suits.
Ministers Orlev and Sharansky voted against the recommendation in the committee, while Ministers Sheetrit (Likud) and Lapid (Shinui), who had long favored the appointment, were finally joined by Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who had wavered for a long while before deciding to support it. Orlev told Arutz-7 that ministers close to Prime Minister Sharon exerted great pressure on Shalom.
A major issue in the deliberations was the anti-Semitic tone taken by Irineos in two letters to Yasser Arafat. Irineos claims that the letters were forged, and a police investigator was supposed to have met with the committee on this topic. At the last minute, however, she received instructions from Police Commissioner Aharonishki to transfer a message instead, saying that Irineos' seal is authentic, but that there's no way of authenticating with certainty the text written above it.
Arutz-7's Shimon Cohen, however, quotes an affidavit provided to a Greek Magistrates Court judge on Sept. 9, 2003, by one of three witnesses to the writing of one of the letters. The witness said: "I had a strong argument with Mr. Irineos on the content of this letter [such as] the language and the expressions against the Jewish people and Israel, and also about the necessity of sending such a letter to Yasser Arafat. I explained to him that this letter stands in total contrast to his previous behavior and declarations regarding his attitude towards Israelis and Israel. Similarly, it is very damaging to his own interests... Despite my sharp objections to this, the Metropolite Irineos insisted that this letter would have a very strong echo in order to pressure Israel to restore his name to the list of candidates [for Patriarch]."
As head of the Greek Orthodox Church, considered the richest in Israel, Irineos would be responsible for its extensive land holdings, including the land on which the Knesset was built, the Prime Minister's and the President's official residences, parts of Jerusalem's wealthiest neighborhoods, locations in the Old City and in the new Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa, and land in Ramle and Lod. It has been widely reported that Irineos promised to give Arafat church property in Jerusalem as a gift.
Orlev said that he continues to object to the appointment of Irineos because of the "black cloud that is still hanging over his head regarding his loyalty to the State of Israel... The Patriarch is not only a religious leader, but also someone who owns very important Israeli lands - why should we take the risk? With one decision, he could change the status of lands on a tremendous scale, and thus harm our status in Jerusalem and elsewhere."
Asked why, then, Minister Shalom voted to approve the appointment, Orlev said that he cannot answer for Shalom. "However," he said, "I will say that Israel has now entered into an unnecessary escapade that indicates governmental weakness."
"Another thing that worries me is that two years ago, all the professional elements, such as the Shabak and the police, objected to Irineos - but now, suddenly, none of them are willing to open their mouths... All of a sudden, no one has an opinion - not the police, not the Shabak, not the Prime Minister's Office, and not the Jerusalem Municipality. This is very mysterious."
Orlev was asked whether, in his opinion, "real estate elements close to the Prime Minister are the ones who are pushing for the appointment." Orlev said, "Questions of this nature must be directed to the Prime Minister himself."