The life of the patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem is in danger because he is “selling land that belongs to the Palestinians to Israelis,” a former advisor to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat said during a speech in Athens. Bassam Abu Sharif said the church had sold land that it owns in Jaffa for $22 million. Palestinian officials promptly distanced themselves from Sharif’s comments, saying there was no information about a plot against the patriarch. A spokesman for the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem said the land in Jaffa was being leased to a Canadian company and has not been sold.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
