Orthodox Palestinians protest Patriarch’s Christmas celebrations Church allegedly sold land to groups aiding Jewish settlers
Most Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, rather than Dec. 25.
Hundreds of Orthodox Christian leaders and activists held a protest near Bethlehem’s Catholic Club. The patriarch was reportedly pelted with eggs and shoes, and had to switch cars after protesters smashed the back window of the vehicle in which he arrived in an attempt to prevent his arrival at the Church of the Nativity.
A police escort saw the patriarch safely through to his rendezvous with Bethlehem Gov. Jibrin Bakri; Ziad Bandak, special representative of President Mahmoud Abbas; and other Palestinian officials.
Hanna Amireh, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee responsible for Church affairs, called the events “unfortunate.”
“We would have preferred that the mayors and the community respected the status quo that has been the tradition on such occasions for decades,” Amireh told Arab News.
But Mayor of Bethlehem Tony Salman said that there were more pressing concerns for the protesters.
“Jerusalem is much more important than the status quo,” an angry Salman informed Arab News after being told that Amireh had requested citizens and officials to respect the annual tradition.
Fadi Abu Saada, a journalist from Beit Sahour, told Arab News that the problem facing the Palestinian government and the PLO is Jordan.
“So long as the Jordanian government recognizes the Patriarch and are unable to enforce Jordanian law on him, the Palestinian government here will not do anything.”
Michelle Sayegh, a JordanianPalestinian businessman and a member of the Orthodox Conference that called for the boycott of the patriarch, confirmed to Arab News that the problem is one of official recognition of the patriarch and Greek priests and bishops.
“Our problem is with the Palestinian and Jordanian governments who refuse to act despite the fact that they are aware of the sale of church properties to Israelis.”
Sayegh told Arab News that he is proud of the unity shown by the Orthodox community in Palestine and Jordan: “I am supportive of what happened in Bethlehem and I applaud our people for standing up for the rights of Arab Orthodox Christians.”
The governments of Jordan and Palestine both insist that Theophillus has not sold any church property in East Jerusalem. Sayegh responded by saying that selling any church property in any part of historic Palestine is unacceptable to Arab Orthodox Christians.
“If the problem facing the Church is lack of funds, we have offered to pay church costs, which are reported to be around $1 million a month,” he said. “But in return we need to be in charge of how church property is managed.”
He added that the patriarch had failed to present all land deals to the dormant joint committee of Orthodox laypeople and clergy, which he suggested could mean the patriarch was attempting to cover up wrongdoing.
Amireh conceded to Arab News that a general review of the Palestinian authorities’ relationship with the church is necessary. “We need to insist on the activation of the joint committee in coordination with Jordanian law,” he said.
AMMAN: Angered by the Church’s alleged sale of land in mainly Palestinian East Jerusalem to groups aiding Jewish settlers, the municipalities of Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jala instigated a boycott of the traditional Christmas Eve celebrations of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilus III in Bethlehem on Saturday.