Recent History and Current Events
The Greek Orthodox Arabs make up the largest Christian demographic in the West Bank, Jordan and Syria and the second in Lebanon.
There have been numerous disputes between the Arab and the Greek leadership of the church in Jerusalem from the Mandate onwards. Jordan encouraged the Greeks to open the Brotherhood to Arab members of the community between 1948 and 1967 when the West Bank was under Jordan.
Land disputes and political ones have been common since 1967, with the Greek priests portrayed as collaborators with Israel. Land disputes include the sale of St. John's property in the Christian quarter on April 11, 1990, the transfer of fifty dunams near Mar Elias monastery, and the sale of two hotels and twenty seven stores on Omar Bin Al-Khattab square near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
A recent dispute between the Palestinian Authority and the Greek, Patriarch Irenaios has led to the Patriarch being pushed aside because of accusations of a real estate deal with Israel. This dispute, between the Greek leadership and the local Arab authorities, is the latest manifestation of the phenomenon of the Arab-Orthodox.
The Arab Orthodox Society still exists in Jerusalem.
Read more about this topic: Arab Orthodox
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