JERUSALEM — Israel’s High Court of Justice has instructed the government not to recognize the appointment of Jerusalem’s Greek Orthodox patriarch despite a recent Cabinet decision to do so, according to an article in the Feb. 3 Ha’aretz newspaper.
Holy Land custom dictates that the Greek Orthodox patriarch be approved by the sovereign rulers of the land: Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Although Eireneos I was elected to his office more than two years ago, the Israeli government refused to acknowledge this fact.
Some officials argued that the patriarch is pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel, and that recognizing his authority could ultimately harm Israel’s interests.
The Greek Orthodox church owns vast tracts of land that it has leased to Israel on a long-term basis. The government fears that Eireneos will not renew the leases and instead will hand them over to the Palestinians.
The High Court ordered the government to postpone its recognition for three weeks, until the judges can rule on two petitions filed against Eireneos’ appointment. Both petitions assert that “he is involved in criminal activities and writing anti-Semitic letters,” the newspaper reported.
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