INTRODUCTION:
In Spring 1997, the Israeli government announced the go-ahead for the Har Homa project, a new Jewish settlement to be constructed on the Palestinian mountain of Abu Ghnaim, near Bethlehem. Local residents began to protest against the project, which would complete the ring of Israeli settlements cutting off Palestinian East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. The Israeli project was also clearly intended to siphon Palestinian income from tourists visiting Palestinian Authority-controlled Bethlehem, as one of its componants included a tourist village to be called "Bethlehem 2000". Events reported in this diary section include the clashes that began in the area around the mountain and spread across the West Bank (and Gaza Strip), including the clashes in Ramallah in which Birzeit University students participated and student Abdullah Salah was shot dead, on 29 March 1997. The Har Homa project continued on unabated.

7 MARCH 1997 - Visit to observe a demonstation by local residents at the mountain on the outskirts of Beit Sahour near Bethlehem:

• Off to the mountain
• Seeing the mountain for the first time
• The demonstration
• Thoughts during the demonstration
• The demonstration ends
• On the way home

21-22 MARCH 1997 - Clashes rage in nearby Bethlehem as tension mounts over the Har Homa project:

• One seeks revenge... [2 parts]
• ...Children bearing rocks
• Back through Wadi-Al-Nar
• Wadi Al-Nar Photo Gallery

26-29 MARCH 1997 - Clashes spread to Ramallah, near Birzeit University:

• Birzeit students join in [3 parts]
• Birzeit student shot [2 parts]

RELATED SITES:


• Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem - Abu Ghnaim section of "Eye on Palestine" website, http://www.arij.org/paleye/abughnam/ - An excellent page on the whole history of the planned Har Homa settlement on Jebal Abu Ghnaim for this Palestinian research centre.
• Harhoma.Com - A site from the original Israeli project managers of the project. Check out the letters to Netanyahu and Clinton.
• Ariga - Har Homa links available off this excellent Israeli homepage. Particularly interesting is the comment by Uri Avnery, Gush Shalom (Peace Bloc) head.
• Palestinian National Authority (http://www.pna.net/) - Jebal Abu Ghneim: The Most Dangerous Project in the History of Israeli Settlement Policy
• Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Abu Ghnaim information.
• Peace Now/Shalom Al-Aan - Har Homa statements from this Israeli organisation and its American branch.
• The Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza (i.e. the settlers council for the West Bank and Gaza Strip) - Information about settlements and numbers of settlers, maps, etc., from this right-wing Israeli organisation.
• Arutz 7 settler radio station - Settler-related coverage from this far-right Jewish religious school, based in Beit El settlement near Ramallah.
• Foundation for Middle East Peace homepage - Settlement Newsletter - Visit and sign up for the e-mailed newsletter about settlements from this American organisation.