Palestinians protest Greek Orthodox patriarch for selling land to Israelis

6 January 2019, 4:21 pm

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Dozens of Palestinians are protesting the arrival of the Greek Orthodox patriarch of the Holy Land ahead of an Orthodox Christmas celebration in Bethlehem.

Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III arrives at the Church of the Nativity, built atop the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, to celebrate Christmas according to the Eastern Orthodox calendar, in the West Bank City of Bethlehem, January 6, 2019. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

The protesters shout “traitor” at Patriarch Theophilos III as he makes his way under heavy guard toward the Church of the Nativity, revered by Christians as the traditional site of Jesus’s birthplace. Palestinians have been demanding his resignation for allegedly selling church land to Israelis.

The Greek Orthodox church is one of the largest real estate owners in the Holy Land. It is dominated by Greek clergy while the flock is overwhelmingly Palestinian.

The Orthodox mark Christmas on January 7, according to the Gregorian, rather than Julian, calendar.

— AP