This is Har Homa, one of the Israeli settlements built inside the West Bank just outside of Bethlehem. If you walk around the streets of Bethlehem, this is the view you'll have. While the Israeli checkpoints and security fence cut off Bethlehem from many of the surrounding Palestinian cities and towns, Har Homa is built on confiscated land that, according to UN resolutions and international law, belongs rightfully to the Palestinians. While Bethlehem is a dying town, with a failing economy and massive Christian emigration, the illegal Israeli settlements seem to be flourishing. Small wonder--the housing there is subsidized by the Israeli government, and shamefully enough, a large portion of those subsidies comes from the $3 billion+ that the US gives to Israel in foreign aid. Behold your tax dollars at work.
2008-06-20 22:29:09 • 0 Comments • Categories: [Cityscape/Architecture]  [Jordan Study Abroad]  [Political Life]  Arab cathedrals Israel_Palestine mountains politics
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