Jews ‘Secretly Buy’ Al-Quds Properties From Church (

IslamOnline.net & News Agencies ^ | March 18, 2005

[concrete is my business]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM,

Two groups of foreign Jewish investors had secretly purchased two large properties run by the Greek Orthodox Church in the holy city of Al-Quds, a leading Israeli newspaper revealed on Friday, March 18.

The revelation has raised alarm bells on Jewish attempts to control the occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem), where holy Islamic and Christian sites are based.

It is made a few days after Jewish extremists threatened to strike Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine also located in Al-Quds.

In a one-page article titled "Omar Square in our hands", the Maariv daily said a number of overseas Jewish investors paid millions of dollars to purchase a tract of land in Omar Ibn Khatib Square downtown the Jaffa Gate, which lies at the main entrance to the Old City.

The purchase deal, which was carried out with money transferred through various European banks, was made by ideological Jews who claimed attempting to "liberate the lands of Jerusalem", the Israeli daily was quoted by Agence France Presse (AFP) as saying.

Jaffa Gate is the main western entrance to Jerusalem's Old City. It is flanked with shops selling tourist trinkets, mostly Arab-run.

The site is home to two landmark properties managed by two well-known Palestinian families; the Imperial hotel and the Petra hotel.

Neither the hotel managers nor the shop owners had any knowledge of the secret land sale.

In February, Israel’s Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ordered the government to rescind a decision to enforce a decades-old law under which large tracts of Palestinian land in occupied Al-Quds (East Jerusalem) could be confiscated by Israel.

Palestinian experts have also warned against Israeli plans to drive Palestinian citizens away from Al-Quds under pretexts of development, saying the Jewish state’s real motive is striking a demographic balance between in the overwhelmingly Palestinian city.

The Israel-run Al-Quds Municipality said last year it was ready to "compensate those willing to leave their homes with alternative houses outside the Old City.

"No Idea"

A source close to the Greek Orthodox patriarch denied church had any knowledge about the land sale.

The source told AFP that "an internal investigation" was underway to reveal details of the issue.

It stressed that the Jerusalem Patriarch Irineos I would never have agreed to such a transaction and that suspicions were growing that it had been carried out by a Greek Orthodox lawyer who had acted outside the bounds of his authority and then fled the country to avoid detection.

In purchasing tracts of land in the holy city, Jewish investors often use Palestinian middlemen to buy the land in exchange for huge sums of money, according to AFP.

In 1997, three Palestinian property agents who sold land to Jewish investors were found killed.

"Ticking bombs"

The revelation of the land sale in the Old City adds to fears over mounting Jewish threats on Jerusalem.

On Wednesday, March 16, Israel private television screened a video showing far right-Jewish extremists, including rabbis, discussing ways of occupying Al-Aqsa Mosque in a bid to sabotage Israel's planned withdrawal from Gaza.

Al-Aqsa mosque imam Sheikh Yussuf Abu Sneinan warned on Friday that Jewish threats to storm the holy place were "ticking bombs", holding the Israeli government responsible for any attack against Al-Aqsa mosque.

"Threats of destroying Al-Aqsa and attacking peaceful worshippers are ticking bombs aimed at Muslims and this holy mosque," he said during the Friday prayers.

In response, Palestinian Premier Ahmed Qorei on Thursday asked Israel to thwart any strike against Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Al-Quds.

In recent months, sources in the Israeli Shin Bet security service have expressed concern regarding possible missile or air bombing attack by individuals or groups on the compound with the purpose of scuttling the Gaza pullout plan, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the Muslims’ first Qiblah [direction Muslims take during prayers] and it is the third holiest shrine after Al Ka'bah in Makkah and Prophet Muhammad's Mosque in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Its significance has been reinforced by the incident of Al Isra'a and Al Mi'raj -- the night journey from Makkah to Al-Quds and the ascent to the Heavens by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

[Rodney King]

I guess it wasn't a very big secret.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Get a load of this - ping!

[gridlock]

Apparently lots of land in Jerusalem is owned by the Greek Orthodox Church and is under 99-year leases to the people who own the buildings sitting on top of the land. Most of these leases will revert back to the Greek Orthodox Church around 2030. Some properties have had the leases extended, and others cannot be extended, so it is very important to know the status of the underlying lease whenever you are buying real estate in Jerusalem, because you are actually just buying the building.

I don't know the ins and outs, but I know that it is complicated.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

What IslamOnline is hyperventilating over, Jaffa Gate Hotels Bought by Jewish Groups

Two Jewish groups have bought up a block in an Arab-populated section of the Old City of Jerusalem, Maariv reports. The properties were purchased from the cash-strapped Greek Orthodox Church.

The area in question, known as Omar Ibn al-Hitab Square, is located at and near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City. The late Jerusalem Arab leader Feisal Husseini used to hold diplomatic meetings in the area, Israeli left-wing former Minister Yossi Beilin met there with the PA's Seri Nuseibeh, and similar meetings continue to take place at the site. But unbeknownst to the participants, the ground has shifted underneath their feet - and now belongs to Jews.

The Greek Orthodox Church has been facing legal, financial and political difficulties of late, and now, with the publication of the sales of their property to Jewish groups, faces the prospect of strained relations with the Palestinian Authority as well.

The Jerusalem District Court ruled earlier this month that the Church elections for Patriarch, in which Yasser Arafat's crony Irineos was chosen, were illegal and must be held again. The court accepted an appeal by a Church member who brought evidence that the pre-election process was illegal.

The Church's shaky relations with the former Soviet Union republic of Georgia suffered a recent blow when Georgians accused Greek Orthodox priests of removing the corpse of the idolized 12th-century Georgian national poet Shota Rustaveli from his grave in the Church of the Cross in western Jerusalem. A Church official said, on condition of anonymity, that persons close to a direct appointee of Patriarch Irineos did this in order to destroy, even if only "spiritually," historic Georgian claims to the building and area.

Yet another scandal, this one financial, recently rocked the Church when Church treasurer Nicholas Papedemes was accused of having run off with millions of dollars of Church funds. Supporters of the latter say that the accusations are groundless, and are designed merely to push Papedemes out and his opponent Claudius – another Irineos confidante - in.

Papedemes is said to be behind the sales, acting on behalf of Irineos. The two major properties that were bought in the recent purchases are the Petra Hotel and the Imperial Hotel, both very close to the Jaffa Gate.

Though the wealthy Church owns many valuable properties in Jerusalem, its financial state has deteriorated over the past year. Among its holdings are the land on which the Knesset was built, the Prime Minister's and the President's official residences, and locations in the Old City, Har Homa and prominent western Jerusalem neighborhoods. However, a court ruled that it must pay 30 million shekels (close to $7 million) because of a failed plan to build a hotel in the Abu Tor neighborhood of Jerusalem. In lieu of this debt, properties were confiscated, as well as the last payment for the Jaffa Gate real estate of 1.46 million shekels ($340,000).

[abu afak]

Where can I contribute to a fund that Buys ARABs out of Jerusalem and send them back to their Native ARABia?

more more more

[Alouette]

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=78643

Jaffa Gate Hotels Bought by Jewish Groups

Two Jewish groups have bought up a block in an Arab-populated section of the Old City of Jerusalem, Maariv reports. The properties were purchased from the cash-strapped Greek Orthodox Church.


The area in question, known as Omar Ibn al-Hitab Square, is located at and near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City. The late Jerusalem Arab leader Feisal Husseini used to hold diplomatic meetings in the area, Israeli left-wing former Minister Yossi Beilin met there with the PA's Seri Nuseibeh, and similar meetings continue to take place at the site. But unbeknownst to the participants, the ground has shifted underneath their feet - and now belongs to Jews.

The Greek Orthodox Church has been facing legal, financial and political difficulties of late, and now, with the publication of the sales of their property to Jewish groups, faces the prospect of strained relations with the Palestinian Authority as well.

The Jerusalem District Court ruled earlier this month that the Church elections for Patriarch, in which Yasser Arafat's crony Irineos was chosen, were illegal and must be held again. The court accepted an appeal by a Church member who brought evidence that the pre-election process was illegal.

The Church's shaky relations with the former Soviet Union republic of Georgia suffered a recent blow when Georgians accused Greek Orthodox priests of removing the corpse of the idolized 12th-century Georgian national poet Shota Rustaveli from his grave in the Church of the Cross in western Jerusalem. A Church official said, on condition of anonymity, that persons close to a direct appointee of Patriarch Irineos did this in order to destroy, even if only "spiritually," historic Georgian claims to the building and area.

Yet another scandal, this one financial, recently rocked the Church when Church treasurer Nicholas Papedemes was accused of having run off with millions of dollars of Church funds. Supporters of the latter say that the accusations are groundless, and are designed merely to push Papedemes out and his opponent Claudius – another Irineos confidante - in.

Papedemes is said to be behind the sales, acting on behalf of Irineos. The two major properties that were bought in the recent purchases are the Petra Hotel and the Imperial Hotel, both very close to the Jaffa Gate.

Though the wealthy Church owns many valuable properties in Jerusalem, its financial state has deteriorated over the past year. Among its holdings are the land on which the Knesset was built, the Prime Minister's and the President's official residences, and locations in the Old City, Har Homa and prominent western Jerusalem neighborhoods. However, a court ruled that it must pay 30 million shekels (close to $7 million) because of a failed plan to build a hotel in the Abu Tor neighborhood of Jerusalem. In lieu of this debt, properties were confiscated, as well as the last payment for the Jaffa Gate real estate of 1.46 million shekels ($340,000).

[Jimmyclyde]

Those crafty Jews, buying land like that....

[ken5050]

we should carefully consider the source..AFP...they "broke" the story a few days ago about US Marines killing an Iraqi general at a checkpoint...

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

Interesting

[NYer]

Two Jewish groups have bought up a block in an Arab-populated section of the Old City of Jerusalem, Maariv reports. The properties were purchased from the cash-strapped Greek Orthodox Church.

Orthodox ping!

[El Gato]

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the Muslims’ first Qiblah [direction Muslims take during prayers] and it is the third holiest shrine after

Big deal. The Site of the First Temple (aka the Wailing Wall) is the holiest site in Judaism.

Muslim pilgrims go to Mecca, Christians to Bethlehem (and Jerusalem), Jews go to Jerusalem. For centuries, millinea really, Jews have said "next year in Jerusalem". They probably said it before the Mohammad the Pedophile ever stained the earth.

[Destro]

Greek Church is the largest private landowner in Israel and the West Bank not just in Jerusalem.

[Destro]

Like I said you are anti-Orthodox. You post false hoods and garbage.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

What's "Al-Quds"? Sounds like a shrine dedicated to cows. But then, I'm just a farmboy and it's the first thing that lept to mind.

[IAF ThunderPilot]

"Those Jews!
How dare they to claim that Al-Quds has a connection with them?!"

This article is full with Islamic propoganda.

Memo to the Islamo-fanatics:

Jerusalem is NOT EVEN ONCE mentioned in the Kurran of the Muslims.

By constrat, Jerusalem is mentioned so many times in the Bible (both Jewish and Christian) that no one really knows the exact number.

Moreover, both Temples existed. Those are historical facts, not only the Bible's words.

The Islamo-fanatics are changing historical facts, and by destroying the Temple's tools that are located under the Temple Mount, they hope to delete all Jewish connections with the Holy Temple Mount.

Jerusalem was the capital of the Kingdom of Israel before there was a New York. When Berlin, Moscow, London, and Paris were miasmal forest and swamp, there was a thriving Jewish community in Jerusalem.

JERUSALEM

By the rivers of Babylon,
there we sat,
sat and wept,
as we thought of Zion.
There on the poplars
we hung up our lyres,
for our captors asked us there for songs,
our tormentors, for amusement,
"Sing us one of the songs of Zion."
How can we sing a song of the Lord on alien soil?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither,
let my tongue stick to my palate
if I cease to think of you,
if I do not keep Jerusalem in memory
even at my happiest hour...

(Psalm 137:1-6)

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[longtermmemmory]

I wonder what happens if the lawyer is found to have been engaged in a fraud rather than a sale. In the states when a lawyer who is misrepresents his/her authority is fast tracked to disbarment.

There is also the issue of whether or not the purchaser may have bribed the lawyer.

I don not know why anyone would be surprised the Greek Orthodox Church owns a long of land there, it is "a bit of an older church." (dry irony warning.)

[IAF ThunderPilot]

"Al-Quds" in Arabic means "Jerusalem".

[sheik yerbouty]

...Shi'ite walks..