The Supreme Court has put the appointment of Irineos as Greek Orthodox Church Patriarch on hold for at least three weeks. The appointment of the controversial figure - whose anti-Semitism and friendship with Arafat is evident in at least two letters he wrote to the PLO leader - was supposed to take effect today, following a Cabinet decision nine days ago.
The Court made the decision in response to a petition brought by Atty. Dan Avi-Yitzchak on behalf of an unnamed client.
The Greek Orthodox Church in Israel has been operating without a Patriarch since August 2001, when the pro-Israel Patriarch Theodorus died. Though Irineos was chosen by the Church to succeed him, Israeli security agencies were strongly against him because of his ties with Arafat. Only recently did a ministerial committee narrowly vote to approve the appointment, followed by a Cabinet decision to accept the recommendation.
The Avi-Yitzchak suit is based on the same claims made by the General Security Service and the police for several months against Irineos' appointment. At the last ministerial committee session, one of the participants, Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev, said that for some unexplained reason, the security officials were suddenly silent and did not repeat their claims. The precise nature and details of the current petition's stance are classified.
The Court decision gives the petitioner ten days to present a more detailed case, and then ten more days for the government to respond. Another suit against the appointment, by a Greek Orthodox Church leader in the Galilee, has also been filed.
The Court made the decision in response to a petition brought by Atty. Dan Avi-Yitzchak on behalf of an unnamed client.
The Greek Orthodox Church in Israel has been operating without a Patriarch since August 2001, when the pro-Israel Patriarch Theodorus died. Though Irineos was chosen by the Church to succeed him, Israeli security agencies were strongly against him because of his ties with Arafat. Only recently did a ministerial committee narrowly vote to approve the appointment, followed by a Cabinet decision to accept the recommendation.
The Avi-Yitzchak suit is based on the same claims made by the General Security Service and the police for several months against Irineos' appointment. At the last ministerial committee session, one of the participants, Welfare Minister Zevulun Orlev, said that for some unexplained reason, the security officials were suddenly silent and did not repeat their claims. The precise nature and details of the current petition's stance are classified.
The Court decision gives the petitioner ten days to present a more detailed case, and then ten more days for the government to respond. Another suit against the appointment, by a Greek Orthodox Church leader in the Galilee, has also been filed.