Situated with a view of the gently rolling Judean Hills and the city of Bethlehem, Har Homa is one of the newest neighborhoods in Jerusalem. With the prices of real estate in central Jerusalem on the rise and the demand going up, Har Homa has become a popular destination for Israeli and immigrant families.
It has rapidly gained a reputation as a well-kept neighborhood with strong religious communities. Har Homa is also located near Malcha Mall and the neighborhood of Ramot. For decades after the establishment of the State of Israel, Har Homa was a spacious hill shaded with trees. But even before the establishment of the State, a Jewish group purchased 32 acres of land in this spot, and the Jewish National Fund proceeded to plant a forest there. More land in this area was purchased by Jews from Arabs after the Six Day War of 1967. The name Har Homa means "Wall Mountain," and it derives from an impressive wall that was built on top of a ruined Byzantine church on the site.
This wall was used by the Jordanians as a fortification, and dominated the landscape for Israelis who saw the hill from Kibbutz Ramat Rachel. The hill was captured by Israeli forces from the Jordanians in 1967, and the area was slated for residential development as early as the 1980's. Opposition from political and environmental groups delayed the Har Homa building project, until finally the neighborhood was completed in 2002. Today, Har Homa is known internationally for the controversy that surrounds it. Palestinians claim that the neighborhood, which is located in southeast Jerusalem, is a settlement that should not be permitted to expand. Israel's position vis a vis the controversy has been that Har Homa is located within the municipal limits of Jerusalem, and that the land was unoccupied and undeveloped before the neighborhood was built - i.e., no one was displaced from their homes.
2000+ tips and recommendations
No results to show
|
Text text text
|
||
