PA officials and the Palestinian street in East Jerusalem were stunned by the Ma’ariv disclosure of the sale of Omar Square in Jerusalem to Jews.

The hotel owners in the compound are screaming for help from the Arab world, storeowners vehemently protested to the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, and Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Ala blamed Israel and gave instructions to set up a commission of inquiry to examine how the Jews succeeded in gaining control of the compound.

The disclosure of the affair has caused a storm and aroused international interest. Yesterday the newspaper Al-Kuds published the Ma’ariv disclosure word for word. “We knew nothing about this and still don’t believe it,” said one of the Palestinian owners in the compound. “We will need the help of the Arab world so that they don’t throw us out of here. If new owners come and begin to demand high rents from us, we don’t know if we will be able to deal with it.” Amir Djani, owner of the Imperial hotel in the compound, added: “This is a bogus deal based on criminal fraud.”

Yesterday officials in the Greek Orthodox Church were also upset, and harshly criticized Patriarch Irineos. The Archimandrite Potius, director of the church’s property department, has already announced his resignation. Friday afternoon, about 70 businessmen waited for Irineos when he arrived to worship at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, with bodyguards assigned by Jerusalem police. They waved the Ma’ariv at him and called out names, and the patriarch invited their representatives to a meeting to be held today.

As a result of the expose of the affair, the church held a press conference at the Imperial Hotel and denied the sale of the compound to two groups of Jewish investors. The church spokesman said that if the deal had really been carried out, it had not received the approval of the patriarch, and without his approval, it is illegal. “The patriarch’s aide’s power of attorney displayed in the newspaper has no validity, as it was not given by the patriarch with the approval of the Holy Synod,” said the spokesman. “The patriarch was stunned by what has happened,” said one of his friends. “He has no connection to the deal.” [.]

Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Ala said: “This incident proves Israeli intentions to take control of lands in East Jerusalem as well. This is part of its plan to make Jerusalem Jewish.”

This ran in the March 20th, 2005 edition of Maariv

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR