Church leader stabbed by man in Santa suit

JAFFA, Israel, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Three suspects were arrested in the death of a prominent Christian leader in Jaffa in a property dispute, Israeli police said.

Gabriel Cadis, 61, chairman of the Jaffa Orthodox Church Association, was stabbed to death last month during a procession to mark Orthodox Christmas. The attacker was dressed as Santa Claus, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Police have just lifted a media ban on the investigation, the newspaper said.

Cadis had been involved in a dispute over a building purchased for the Orthodox Church Association. Three members of the Abu Maneh family, who claimed ownership of the building, have been arrested in the slaying.

Police said the family had been trying to prove in court that they lived in the $2.7 million building and Cadis had no right to evict them.

"The suspects wanted to get rid of Cadis so that the case would collapse," a police source told the newspaper.