A ministerial committee headed by Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom last week decided to recommend to the government to approve the appointment.

Last week's approval was supported by three members of the ministerial committee: Shalom, Justice Minister Yosef Lapid and Minister Meir Sheetrit. It faced opposition from Ministers Natan Sharansky and Zevulun Orlev.

Israel was locked in a dispute with the Greek Orthodox Church and has refused to recognize the church's patriarch for the Holy Land who was elected two years ago.

The church led by the Greek-born Eireneos owns large amounts of land in both Israel and Palestinian areas. Israel is at odds with the church over land leases and perceived support by officials close to the patriarch for the Palestinian cause.

Under Holy Land traditions going back centuries, a new patriarch has to be vetted by the rulers of the areas where his flock lives - in Eireneos' case Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan.

Without the recognition, the patriarch cannot represent the church in dealings with the host country. Jordan and the Palestinian Authority recognized Eireneos shortly after his election in 2001.

Orlev last week explained his opposition to the decision, saying that "the black cloud hanging over the delay of Eireneos' nomination has not disappeared. The Greek Orthodox Church has large land holdings. They are the largest landholders in Israel after the Jewish National Fund. There is therefore great significance attached to whomever controls the church."

Five months ago, the government set up a special ministerial committee to decide whether or not to recognize Eireneos as the church's new leader.

Interior Minister Avraham Poraz (Shinui) said in Greece two weeks ago that a solution to the dispute over recognition of Eireneos would be found "in a short time."