'Will Keep Returning to Jerusalem until Israel Recognizes Patriarch Ireneos:' Andrew A. Athens

ATHENS, October 24 -- "I will return and keep returning, again and again, until this injustice toward Partriach Ireneos, which is injurious to peace and to all people of the Middle East, is corrected," said Andrew A. Athens following his visit to Israel last week. Athens is President of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) and Chairman of CEH, the Hellenic group that initiated a letter about the Patriarch of Jerusalem signed by 156 members of the United States House of Representatives and sent to President Bush.

Following consultation with Andrew E. Manatos, the President of CEH located in Washington D.C., Athens said, "and I am told that it is rare in that so many members of Congress would sign such a letter. It signals the importance of this issue to them. I am told further that the major American foreign policy-makers who signed the letter for the recognition of Orthodox Patriarch Ireneos will be quite concerned by the lack of a solution.

U.S. diplomats in Israel participated in the discussions for the recognition of Patriarch Ireneos with whom Mr. Athens met during his two-day visit. He also held meetings with top policy officials from the offices of the President and the Prime Minister of Israel, officers of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Greek Ambassador Panayotis Zografos.

"I will report to the concerned Hellenes in the U.S. and around the world that I received, during this trip, a commitment that our government, the American government, plans to increase its efforts to secure recognition of Patriarch Ireneos. I will also report the work being done on this issue by some members of the Government of Israel, with whom I met, and most particularly the commitment to
this cause by the American Jewish Committee leaders, both in the U.S. and Israel. Their constructive work on this issue is consistent with the relationship of many decades I have enjoyed with AJC." Mr. Athens noted that he has received strong indications that recognition will be granted in a few weeks, probably by the end of this year.

"All parties realize that there is no legitimate reason for Israel not to recognize Patriarch Ireneos. If those responsible for this problem realized how much valuable support in America Israel has lost because of this issue, they would end it tomorrow. If Patriarch Ireneos is not recognized before the new year, those causing this problem will bring negatives to Israel that are even more significant. The people of Israel do not need this, particularly now," said Athens.