Fact Sheet: Har Homa

Har Homa (Jebal Abu Ghneim in Arabic) is a tree covered hill located in the southern municipal boundaries of Jerusalem between the Arab village of Um Tuba and Bethlehem. For many years, it was designated by the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality as a "Green Area" - an area restricted from development in order to preserve its ecological diversity (Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem Website).

In March 1997, the Israeli government announced it would build 6,500 Jewish homes, expected to accommodate 30,000-40,000 Israelis, at Har Homa. This announcement led to Palestinian riots and a breakdown in the peace talks. Following these events and heavy international pressure, construction was frozen.

POSITION OF ISRAELI GOVERNMENT

• Former Prime Minister Shimon Peres initially approved construction plans for Jewish homes on the site, but decided to postpone groundbreaking to avoid a conflict with the Palestinians, who were taking legal action through the Israeli courts to prevent construction (Boston Globe, 5/1/98).

• Prime Minister Netanyahu changed the Israeli policy in March 1997, asserting that construction of Jewish homes at Har Homa is a legitimate expansion of Jerusalem (Boston Globe, 5/1/98).

• By the end of July 1998, the Israeli government had completed the confiscation of the land at Har Homa from its Palestinian owners in preparation for building (Agence France Presse, 7/27/98).

• In May 1997, the Israeli government announced plans for the construction of 3,000 new apartments and 400 government financed housing units in the Arab neighborhood of Sur Bahir, which faces Har Homa. The plans were originally initiated in 1994, but were revisited in May 1997 as a means to balance the building of the Jewish development at Har Homa (Jerusalem Post, 5/23/97).

POSITION OF PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

• The Palestinians denounced the project as a Jewish settlement, stating that it will complete a ring of Jewish settlements around Jerusalem and seal off the city from the Palestinians (Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem Website).

• The PA views the project as a violation of the peace agreements because it creates facts on the ground which predetermine final status negotiations (Palestinian National Authority Official Website).

• Palestinian officials dismiss the construction of Sur Bahir as a ploy aimed at deflecting international criticism set off by the work at Har Homa (Baltimore Sun, 5/23/97).

POSITION OF U.S. GOVERNMENT

• The U.S. vetoed two different UN Security Council resolutions that called on Israel to stop construction at Har Homa. The U.S. was the only country of the 15 members on the council to vote against the resolution (Jerusalem Post, 3/9/97).

• In a vote of 134 to 3, the United States, along with Israel and Micronesia, were the only countries among the 185 members in the UN General Assembly to vote against an April 1997 resolution demanding an immediate halt to construction at Har Homa. The previous month, a similar resolution condemning Israeli activity at Har Homa was passed 130 to 2, with only the U.S. and Israel voting against it (The Times, 4/26/97).

• The Clinton Administration cautioned that while its UN votes do not indicate support for the project, the U.S. does not believe that the UN is the appropriate forum to debate the peace process. Ambassador Bill Richardson stated that "such interference can only harden the positions of both sides" (Jerusalem Post, 3/23/97).