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Murder of Georgios Tsibouktzakis

Father Germanos, born Georgios Tsibouktzakis (1966-2001; alt. Tsibouktsakis), was a Greek Orthodox monk-priest[1] and abbot of St. George's Monastery, Wadi Qelt who was murdered by a terrorist on 12 June 2001 in a drive-by shooting. Yassir Arafat had declared a unilateral ceasefire a week before this attack, following the Dolphinarium discotheque massacre; both the Dolphinarium attack and this shooting were part of the Second Intifada, which began in 2000.

In 2004, Marwan Barghouti, a leader of Tanzim and al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades during the Second Intifada, was convicted of murder by an Israeli court for having directed this attack.

Life

 
St. George Orthodox Monastery in Wadi Qelt

Tsibouktzakis was born in Evosmos[1] near Saloniki, Greece, and after finishing primary school, went to work in a fabric-dying factory.[2] According to his former boss at the dye-works, he became religious, gave all of his possessions away – even his bicycle, and left Salonika to enter a religious order.[2]

Tsibouktzakis studied at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.[1] He went to Israel in 1990, was tonsured as a monk in 1993, and was sent to St. George's Monastery in 1994, where he resided for the rest of his life.[3][4] In 2000 Father Germanos was first ordained deacon in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and later that year also priest.[1][2]

Emulating the Wadi Qelt monks of late antiquity, Georgios offered hospitality to visitors.[5] He improved the stone path used by pilgrims to climb up to the monastery, repaired the aqueducts, and improved the gardens of shade and olive trees.[2] He was 35 years old at the time of his death.[2][6] Tsibouktzakis was an Israeli national.[7]

At the time of his death, Father Germanos was abbot and sole occupant of the monastery, where he was also buried.[8][9][10][11][2][3]

Murder

Tsibouktzakis was killed on the road near Ma'aleh Adumim while returning from Jerusalem to the desert monastery in a car with Israeli license plates.[5][12][13][14][15] Tsibouktsakis was killed with a single bullet to the neck.[16] The gunmen were seen to flee towards al-Eizariya and Abu Dis.[17]

The monk's superior, Archbishop Theopanes, complained that the Arabic press had mistaken his grief over the death for sympathy with Israel.[6][18]

The attack was said by some sources to have been carried out by a member of the Tanzim militant group.[12][19] Other sources attributed it to Force 17.[20][21] Both organizations are affiliated with Yassir Arafat's Fatah Party.[22][23]

Context

The New York Times described this attack as "the first" along the "well-traveled stretch of road" connecting East Jerusalem to Maale Adumim.[24] On the 10th anniversary of the shooting, the Jerusalem Post described it as having been the first drive-by shooting in the area east of Jerusalem.[25]

A preliminary cease fire, in the ongoing Second Intifada conflict, had already been in place for a week at the time of the shooting; in the wake of the June 1, 2001 Dolphinarium discotheque massacre, Arafat had unilaterally declared a one-sided ceasefire in order to avert what was expected to be a massive Israeli response to the mass-death bombing.[26][27] The one-sided cease fire in response to the Dolphinarium massacre followed a one-sided cease-fire declared by Ariel Sharon on May 22.[26]

The shooting was noted for taking place "as Mr. Arafat was meeting with" C.I.A. director George Tenet to discuss yet another ceasefire.[24][28][16] As they met, Palestinian demonstrators marched through the streets of Ramallah demanding that Arafat not sign the cease fire agreement.[26]

Prior to this murder Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti had repeatedly and publicly stated that the cease-fire being negotiated by Tenet as well as the unilateral one-sided Arafat ceasefire would apply only to areas under Palestinian control, asserting that Fatah would continue to ambush Israeli settlers until they leave the Israeli-occupied territories.[20][29] The Israeli court verdict effectively removed Arafat's only political rival.[30]

Accusations and denials of responsibility

Soon after the attack, Israel's Security Agency alleged that Marwan Barghouti was behind the murder of Georgios Tsibouktzakis, stating that it had arrested and interrogated two suspects who said that Barghouti helped them obtain their guns and confessed to shooting the Abbot. The 2 were said to be part of Force 17, a Fatah commando unit. Barghouti denied the allegation, denied knowing the two suspects, and accused "Israeli settlers" of killing Tsibouktzakis.[20][21]

In 2003, Ismael Hassin Radeida, a 22-year-old member of an armed faction of Fatah, was convicted of shooting and killing Fr Germanos. Radeida told the court he had killed the priest in error, having intended to kill Jews driving along the road.[31]

Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti was convicted of murder in 2004 for having directed the attack.[32][33][34][35] Barghouti had been a popular candidate to lead the Palestinian Authority; however, the position could not be filled effectively from prison and the Israeli authorities had announced that the conviction as well as four other counts of murder for which he had been convicted, precluded his release, stating "The man was sentenced to five life terms for the murder of Israelis... This is not a political issue, but a purely legal one."[36][37]

The Israeli government refused to release Barghouti as part of the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.[38][39][40]

Responses

  • Israeli Deputy Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra called for all discussions with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to cease until there was a halt in the terrorist attacks.[13]
  • The Palestinian diplomatic mission in Greece denied that Palestinians shot Fr. Georgios.[41]
  • The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Information issued an official denial of Palestinian involvement with the shooting, accusing "Israeli settlers" of carrying out the crime.[20]
  • The Palestinian Authority also issued a statement claiming that the Greek Orthodox Church holds "Israeli settlers" responsible for shooting the Father Georgios.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d ANA-MPA news agency
  2. ^ a b c d e f Keyser, Jason (15 June 2001). "Monk killed in ambush buried". The Topeka Capital-Journal. AP. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  3. ^ a b Dunn, Ross (1 June 2001). "Greek Orthodox Priest Falls Victim to Middle East Conflict". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Father Georgios Tsibouktzakis". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  5. ^ a b "The Monastery in the Methodist Eye:Rev. Merton S. Rice of Detroit and St. George of Choziba" (PDF). Methodist History. 1 January 2005.
  6. ^ a b Franklin, Stephen (22 June 2001). "Monk falls victim to 'circle of violence'". Chicago Tribune.
  7. ^ "Greek monk killed by Palestinian gunfire - army". The Irish Times. AFP. 12 June 2001. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  8. ^ Philips, Alan (14 June 2001). "Desert monk victim of Holy Land slaughter". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  9. ^ "Middle East Funeral". AP. 14 June 2001. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  10. ^ Shapiro, Haim (14 June 2001). "Monk's shooting shocks church". Jerusalem Post. ProQuest 319315143.
  11. ^ Shapiro, Haim (15 June 2001). "Patriarchate to decide on replacement. Shooting victim buried at his monastery". Jerusalem Post. ProQuest 319333459.
  12. ^ a b Rubin, Barry (2015). Chronologies of Modern Terrorism. Routledge. p. 219. ISBN 978-1317474654.
  13. ^ a b Dudekevitch, Margot (3 June 2001). "Motorist killed in drive-by shooting near Ma'aleh Adumim". Jerusalem Post. ProQuest 319328959.
  14. ^ Singer, David; Grossman, Lawrence (1 January 2003). American Jewish Year. VNR AG. ISBN 9780874951172.
  15. ^ Keyser, Jason (27 November 2002). "Counting casualties in 2-year struggle in Mideast is a battle in itself". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. AP. ProQuest 261663537.
  16. ^ a b Matthews, Mark (13 June 2001). "Arafat, Sharon accept truce Israel, Palestinians agree to cease-fire proposed by U.S.; Jewish settlement freeze; End to bloodshed hinges on unpopular moves by leaders". Baltimore Sun. ProQuest 406486248.
  17. ^ "Greek monk killed in shooting near Jerusalem". BBC. 12 June 2001. ProQuest 451206166.
  18. ^ Bennett, James (28 June 2003). "Mideast Leaders Test Compromise Israeli Pullback, Hamas Truce in Plan". New York Times. ProQuest 387857733.
  19. ^ "Tanzim Terrorists Killed Greek Monk". Arutz Sheva. 26 June 2001. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  20. ^ a b c d e Lahoud, Lamia (22 June 2001). "Barghouti denies part in murder". Jerusalem Post. ProQuest 319327445.
  21. ^ a b "Fatah leader in West Bank denies links to monk's killing". BBC. Israel Radio. ProQuest 452648230.
  22. ^ "Marwan Barghouti, Fatah-Tanzim, and the Escalation of the Intifada". JCPA. 14 January 2002. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  23. ^ Navon, Dani (6 May 2002). "The Involvement of Arafat, PA Senior Officials and Apparatuses in Terrorism against Israel: Corruption and Crime". MFA Israel. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  24. ^ a b Sontag, Deborah (13 June 2001). "2 Sides in Mideast Accept U.S. Plan for a Cease-fire". New York Times. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  25. ^ Zvielli, Alexander (13 June 2011). "From our Archives". Jerusalem Post. ProQuest 872078050.
  26. ^ a b c Wilkinson, Tracy (13 June 2001). "Sharon, Arafat Back U.S. Cease-Fire Plan; Mideast: In last- ditch meeting with CIA chief, Palestinian leader agrees to arrest militants". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 421631435.
  27. ^ "Cornering Arafat (ex cathedra editorial)". Jerusalem Post. 14 June 2001. ProQuest 319316866.
  28. ^ Ephron, Dan (13 June 2001). "US Brokers a cease-fire in Mid-East 11th hour Deal Spells Out Steps; Disputes Remain". Boston Globe. ProQuest 405392064.
  29. ^ Tanzim clarify: Tactical ceasefire only (Hebrew), YNET, 3 June 2001
  30. ^ Colin Shindler A History of Modern Israel, Cambridge University Press, 2013 p.337.
  31. ^ "Priest's Killer". Kathimerini. AFP. 2 April 2003. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  32. ^ "On Marwan Barghouti's murder record, political maneuvering and exploitation". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  33. ^ Shulman, Robin (21 May 2004). "Palestinian Leader Convicted in Israel Barghouti Found Guilty of 5 Murders". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  34. ^ Singer, Roni (20 May 2004). "Barghouti Convicted in Deaths of Five People". Haaretz. Reuters. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  35. ^ Enev, Peter Enev (7 June 2004). "Barghouti gets five life terms for attacks". Toronto Star. ProQuest 438710369.
  36. ^ Silver, Eric (14 November 2004). "Two guards die as Palestinian leader is caught in gun battle". The Independent. ProQuest 310720296.
  37. ^ Rabinowitz, Gavin (21 May 2004). "Palestinian leader convicted of ordering shootings". The Independent. ProQuest 310620706.
  38. ^ Koopmans, Ofira (12 October 2011). "Marwan Barghouti not to be released, Israeli minister says". McClatchy - Tribune Business News. ProQuest 897162113.
  39. ^ "Gilad Shalit release: Marwan Barghouti left out of prisoner switch". Daily Telegraph. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  40. ^ Collard, Rebecca (18 November 2011). "The man Israel didn't release from prison: Marwan Barghouti". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  41. ^ "Envoy denies Palestinians killed Greek monk in Israel". BBC. 8 June 2001. ProQuest 452659381.
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