TCI

Visual Description

Commentary

Supers

10:00:00:00

GV Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The Greek Orthodox Church is one of the biggest land owners in Israel.

10:00:04:21

GV Knesset

It owns the land that both the Israeli parliament and the President's residence stand on,

10:00:09:23

GV Galilee mountains

swathes of the Galilee

10:00:11:20

GV pan Kotel

& Old city

And large parts of Jerusalem. It's no wonder than that everyone wants to know who is going to control this land in the future.

10:00:19:01

GV Theophilos III in office

Theophilos III was elected Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Jerusalem over two years ago.

10:00:23:16

GV Greek priests in office

But, the Israelis have been reluctant to endorse his appointment.

10:00:29:15

Meron Rapaport at home

Israeli journalist Meron Rapaport reveals the Israeli demands.

10:00:33:18

GV Rapaport's paper

In return for recognizing the patriarch's nomination, the Israeli want the land.

10:00:39:08

Meron Rapaport at home

Any property house land shop or others that are out for sale or lease for short term or long term will be presented before the Israeli government and the government or someone on his behalf will have the first refusal right to purchase or lease these properties.

Meron Rapaport, Ha'aretz Newspaper

10:01:04:09

GV Jerusalem

Land in East Jerusalem and parts of the old city is at the heart of the debate.

10:01:09:16

GV Jaffa Gate

This square in the Christian quarter of the Old City

10:01:12:15

GV Shuk in Jerusalem

has caused particular controversy. It was alleged

10:01:15:14

GV Old City street

to have been sold off by the Patriarch's predecessor Irineos

10:01:18:12

GV Shops

Old City

1 to some overseas Jewish investors, but behind this negotiation

10:01:23:00

GV Market Jerusalem

Are believed to be a right- wing organization, Ateret Cochnim,

10:01:26:13

GV Market and shoppers

whose mission is to judaize Jerusalem

10:01:30:00

Theophilos III

Certain members probably government members they had all sorts of vested interests, they had connections with this Ateret Cohanim movement and they tried to interfere into the Patriarchate affairs.

His Beatitude Theophilos III

10:01:56:04

GV Streets in Christian Quarter Old City

The businesses and properties here

10:01:59:11

GV juice stand in  Jerusalem

are mostly in Palestinian hands. The Dajani family

10:02:01:10

Old family portrait

took over the Imperial Hotel

10:02:03:05

Imperial Hotel entrance

After the foundation of the state of Israel

10:02:05:03

GV Hotel hallway

in 1948. They came here as refugees from West Jerusalem. The question is can the Patriarch protect their tenancy?

10:02:13:22

Jawad Dajani, Imperial Hotel Old City

Two years ago an official in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate leased this building and another building just adjacent with seventeen stores.

10:02:26:15

GV Façade of hotel

This is at least what is published to an offshore company.

10:02:32:15

Theophilos in Patriarchy

In the meantime, Israel doesn't approve of the nomination and access to the Church's bank accounts and land registry is forbidden.

10:02:39:09

Father Seraphim

This is the entrance to the land registry and the former financial department of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy in Jerusalem. You can clearly see,

Monk Seraphim

10:02:57:07

CU Lock on door

the door is locked for three past two and half years

10:03:02:08

Father Seraphim

Only the police have the keys to the door and they will hand over the keys when the problem is finally resolved.

10:03:12:23

Old City ally where Seraphim is walking

Meanwhile Irineos 1 is still living in his old quarters in the Patriarchate, and still claims that he is the rightful Patriarch

10:03:20:06

Father Seraphim

and was wrongly deposed. What we are now looking at is the main entrance to the compound where the Patriarch has lived for the last 6 years 2 and a half of which are after his dethronement. His stay here is in violation of the rules of the Patriarch and of the will of the Orthodox Church here and the Ecumenical Church because he has been dethroned.

10:03:50:04

Aerial shots of East Jerusalem

A crucial part of any future peace agreement will be to transfer control of East Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority.

10:03:56:21

Fuad Kokali

We believe in the peace process and we believe that we will finally have our state here. This Patriarchate will be under the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian State because it is located in East Jerusalem.

Fuad Kokali, PLC Member

10:04:14:14

GV Security Fence

While politicians jealously covet the valuable and strategically vital land, like here at the wall between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

10:04:23:09

Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

Theophilos has his congregation to consider.

10:04:26:15

Inside of Church, man praying

The clergy here are mainly Greek, but the congregation in the are Palestinian.

10:04:31:13

Fuad Kokali

They are afraid...inside them they feel that maybe the Patriarchate will do another deals with the Israelis. Because this is their experience since 1967. Every Patriarch promised them, but finally we discovered that they rent lands or they sell. That's why they didn't trust. We hope that maybe this policy will changed. 

Fuad Kokali, PLC Member

10:05:02:22

Fuad in car

This Shepherd's field and for example my grandfather used to come here to pray.

10:05:09:22

GV Outside of Church

GV Icons in Church

belongs to the Orthodox Church.

It's the oldest one here

10:05:15:22

Frescos in church

and for example this land was owned by the community in Beit Sahour.

10:05:24:16

GV Father Aghnatios

Shots of people praying in Church

They are our congregation we love them and we hope that now that the Patriarch has the recognition he will fulfill all the demands and will bridge any gap that there is between the patriarch and the congregation and we consider ourselves not Greeks but Palestinians.

Father Aghnatios

10:05:56:03

Theophilos Interview

This sacred history is shared by everybody here and therefore the Patriarchate needs to be respected and to be treated again as a spiritual institution and not to be treated as a real estate agency.

10:06:26:23

Theophilos in the Patriarchate

Financially squeezed by the Israelis, watched like a hawk by the Palestinians, the beleaguered Patriarch must stand firm for the Church to remain neutral. Luckily, he believes he has God and time on his side.

10:06:40:04

Theophilos Interview

Many empires, many conquerors and leaders both good and barbaric they came and passed...the Patriarchate still remains here...we come and go and the Patriarchate is still here.

10:07:05:05

GV people walking in Old City

Sources in the Israeli Government have said that the Patriarch's nomination will be approved soon,

10:07:14:08

Jaffa gate

but if he gives in to Israeli or Palestinian demands, then this representative

10:07:16:17

GV Street in old city

of this ancient presence in the holy land

10:07:20:00

GV Jerusalem

could destroy any hopes of peace.