Jerusalem - The Palestinian and Jordanian governments on Tuesday recommended withdrawing recognition of the Greek Orthodox patriarch in Jerusalem, a victory for rebel clergy seeking to oust him over his alleged role in a contentious land deal.

The deal leasing church properties in east Jerusalem to a Jewish group has infuriated Palestinians, who claim east Jerusalem as capital of a future state.

The decision of Jordan, which is still regarded as the custodian of Jerusalem holy sites, needs final approval from King Abdullah II but is expected to seal the fate of Patriarch Irineos I. The patriarch's supporters said he would accept the king's decision.

Church tradition holds that the patriarch must be recognized by the chief powers in the area _ Israel, the Palestinians and Jordan.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas also must approve the recommendation by his Cabinet to withdraw recognition, a senior official said.

"We are in full coordination with the Jordanians," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Abbas was traveling in South America on Tuesday and did not comment.

Israeli officials said they would not get involved.

Archbishop Aristarchous, the chief secretariat of the church, said the patriarchate regards Jordan as the principle authority.

"We are bound to the Jordanian government by an old law," he said. "I think Irineos has to be accept this. I don't know what his intentions are, but objectively he should accept this decision."

The church complies with a 1958 Jordanian law that bans any sale of church land and property. Jordan ruled east Jerusalem and the West Bank until Israel seized the territories in the 1967 Middle East War. Israel has since annexed east Jerusalem.

Jordan renounced its claims to east Jerusalem in 1988, but maintains custody of holy shrines there.

Archmandrite Milinios Bassal, an Irineos supporter, said the patriarch will abide by the king's decision, but added: "We believe the Jordanian government decision was is based on false and incomplete facts and we hope that the king will not ratify it."

Irineos' opponents in the Church said last week that the 17-member Synod Holy Synod, the church's main decision-making body, had dismissed him. But Irineos' supporters said the vote was invalid because the patriarch had not convened the Synod.

Archmandrite Atallah Hannah, a church spokesman and critic of Irineos, praised the Palestinian Cabinet's decision.

"We thank and salute the Palestinian government for its position and we hope that president Mahmoud Abbas will adopt this position," he said.

Irineos, who has denied any involvement in the deal, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The need to receive government recognition of the patriarch dates back to when the Holy Land was ruled by the Muslim Ottoman empire, which ruled other religions through their religious leaders, said Daniel Rossing, an expert on Christian denominations in the Holy Land.