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Revelations Concerning Anti-Semitic Statements by the Greek Orthodox Church's Candidate to be Patriarch of the Holy Land
(Maariv) Kalman Libskind - Prior to the Israeli government discussion over the recognition of the new patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Holy Land, Irenaios I, Maariv disclosed an anti-Semitic letter he wrote to Yasser Arafat on July 17, 2001, which stated: "You are finally aware of the sentiments of disgust and disrespect that all the Holy Sepulcher fathers are feeling for the descendants of the crucifiers of our Lord Jesus Christ, actual crucifiers of your people, Zionists, Jewish conquerors of the Holy Land of Palestine." While Irenaios claimed that the letter was forged, nonetheless, reliable sources close to the issue have stated that he has used this argument in the past concerning other letters that have been disclosed. In another letter in April 2002, he wrote of "the attacks of the Israeli occupation forces against the most beloved people of Palestine," and added, "The heroic resistance to the inhuman aggression provides us with joy." The primary opposition to any Israeli recognition of Irenaios came from Minister of Housing Natan Sharansky and the Minister of National Infrastructure Effie Eitam.