The most discussed topic of the recent visit to Israel by the speaker of the Georgian parliament, David Bakradze, was the return of the Monastery of the Holy Cross. Despite all the previously voiced denials, Israeli officials have been forced to admit that this issue, a thorny one for the Georgian side, was actually discussed during the meeting with Bakradze and the Minister of Religious Affairs, as well as with the chairman of the Knesset. More precisely, the question was constantly raised by the Georgian side during the meeting. Israeli officials also clearly did not want to interfere in the long-standing dispute between Tbilisi and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem on the fate of the ancient monastery. But what should be done if a high-ranking guest starts all talks precisely with this topic? Just "not hearing" and not responding to it would be undiplomatic. In this case, why bother to invite the head of the country's parliament at all? Indeed, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, as well as those in the Knesset (where Bakradze was invited), surely knew that Bakradze would definitely touch on this issue and that he considers it a priority. But apparently Israel decided that it should not postpone the visit yet again: the crisis in Georgian-Israeli relations, which arose from the arrest of two Israeli businessmen (in fact, this was the reason for cancelling Bakradze's visit last year) has been going on for too long.
It would be a great exaggeration to say that Georgia is a "strategic ally" for Israel. But in Tel Aviv Georgia is seen as quite a useful and loyal partner, if only because of its unwavering support for Israel's positions on all international markets. Let's not forget that Georgia is one of the few (almost the only) countries whose embassy is located in Jerusalem. And such precedents in Israel cannot be disregarded. David Bakradze sensed this and was therefore quite insistent: "Naturally, the Monastery of the Cross is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and of course we are conducting basic negotiations with it, but it is very important that the state of Israel and the Israeli government be adequately informed and involved in this process, because the monastery is in Israel and it is the Israeli government's position that could be decisive. For us, it is important that the Israeli government be informed and supportive of this process."
It was necessary to give a diplomatic response to the insistent requests of Georgia, excluding any misunderstandings in relations with the influential Orthodox patriarch, but at the same time not disturbing the partnership with Tbilisi. Such a response was given by the Israeli Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaakov Margi. His statement can be regarded as a brilliant example of the art of diplomacy: "We have discussed the question of the Cross Monastery with the Chairman of the Georgian Parliament. This is a problematic and very sensitive issue. It includes three parties. In my opinion, Israel should make its contribution, so that the negotiations yield results acceptable to all, including the Greek Church." To translate this phrase from the diplomatic language, Israel is ready only to facilitate negotiations between Georgia and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, but a compromise must be reached by these two parties. Israel cannot affect the determination of the Georgian side "to strive for substantive negotiations on the issue of the Cross Monastery," just as it does not intend to comment on the severe response of the Patriarch, who has ruled out this possibility.
http://izrus.co.il/dvuhstoronka/article/2012-03-08/17243.htmlAt the same time, nobody denies that the deceased billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili suggested to the Greek Patriarchate to buy out the Monastery of the Cross, but this was refused. However, the refusal was not something like "there are things that are not for sale." Precisely for this reason, Bakradze's delegation included one of the most successful Georgian businessmen, Archil Gegenava. Similarly, there are constant "drains" from the milieu of the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has gone into fierce opposition to the President, and therefore Ivanishvili is willing to pay a significant portion of his 6-billion-dollar fortune on returning "Dzhvris Monasteri" to Georgia.
This shrine has indeed a great importance for the country. It was founded in the XI century (during the heyday of Georgian statehood and culture) by Georgian monk-educators Ekvtim and Georgy Mtatsmindeli with the assistance of King Bagrat IV (1027-1072). For several centuries the monastery was a beacon of Georgian Orthodoxy near the Holy Sepulchre. But at the end of the XVII century, when terrible anarchy began in Georgia, the monks were forced to sell the land on which the monastery is located to the Greek Orthodox Church.
Several years ago, the Cross Monastery happened to be at the center of an international row: somebody (according to some reports, Greek monks themselves) almost completely destroyed the medieval fresco depicting the great Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli, who is buried inthe monastery. After protests from Tbilisi, the Greek owners of the monastery restored the fresco "almost in its original form." In addition there was a remarkable episode in the conflict, which explains a lot in the current diplomatic dispute: dozens of representatives of Georgian intellectuals - poets, writers, artists, film directors - held a rally requesting help near the walls of the Israeli embassy in Tbilisi. Moreover, they brought to the rally a large wooden horse. The hint is more than transparent: according to one interpretation of the "Iliad," the Trojan War was fought between the ancestors of modern Israelis and modern Greeks. Or, more precisely, it should be considered within the Semitic-Indo-European discourse. Thus, by bringing a wooden horse to the walls of the Israeli Embassy, Georgian artists reminded Israelis of the "historic perfidy of those who are trying to destroy traces of the Georgian presence in the Holy Land."
By exactly this logic, the Georgian authorities prefer to negotiate with Israel, not with the owners of the Cross Monastery - if only for the reason that in the course of diplomatic contacts no question canbe withdrawn from the agenda, if one party is going to pick it up. And whatever the answer from Tel Aviv may be, the fact is that the negotiations on the return of relics (which are still being flatly refused by Jerusalem Patriarchate) is always positively perceived by the Georgian public. So it brings political dividends to both the authorities and the opposition, competing (in the anticipation of the parliamentary elections) in their loyalty to national values and historical traditions.
Georgy Kalatozishvili, specially for VK
