Israeli nationality granted to Jordanian patriarch

Israeli sources stated that the former Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon helped grant Israeli nationality to the patriarch of the Greek-Orthodox community in Jordan in a way that violates the rules enforced in Israel.

The al-Ayam daily issued in the occupied Palestinian territories quoted the Israeli weekly Coal Ha'eir as saying that Sharon used his last day in his post as foreign minister on July 5, 1999 to complete several urgent matters, including helping in issuing the nationality of an Israeli passport for the patriarch of the Greek Orthodox, Michael Kustantinov, who resides in Jordan.

The al-Ayam paper indicated that Patriarch Kustantinov signed an oath of loyalty to the state of Israel before he got its nationality, which was given to him as an award for his services to Israel.

The paper signaled to the operations of leaking several real estates under the ownership of the Greek-Orthodox patriarchy in Jerusalem and others of the lands of the holy territories to the Israeli authorities on the background of the conflict taken place within the Greek-Orthodox community.

However, a spokesman for the Israeli ministry of the Interior confirmed this story of the patriarch as stated by the Israeli paper.