Merav Mack,'Christian Palestinian Communities in Israel: Tensions between laity, clergy and state,' in Marshall J. Breger, Yitzhak Reiter, Leonard Hammer (eds.), Sacred Space in Israel and Palestine: Religion and Politics, Routledge, 2013 pp.284-307 pp.293-294.;'One of the most contested cases in recent years was the alleged lease or sale of Abu Ghneim, owned by the Greek Orthodox Church, on which a large Jewish neighbourhood was established in 1997 known by the name of Har Homa. To illustrate the kind of pressure put on the patriarchs, according to Ruth Kark and Itamar Katz, the appointment of Patriarch Irineos I was "blocked" three times, "due to pressure exerted by government ministers and senior officials, municipal functionaries, businessmen, real-estate agents, financiers, building contractors, and international companies.'
Judah Ari Gross, 'US officials: Washington could back UN resolution on Palestine,'The Times of Israel 19 March 2015: 'the official referenced Netanyahu’s approval of construction in the East Jerusalem settlement of Har Homa to block contiguity between Palestinian-majority areas during his first stint as prime minister in the 1990s as proof that Netanyahu truly meant what he said. “It was a way of stopping Bethlehem from moving toward Jerusalem,” Netanyahu said at the time.“ To actually come out and say that this construction is actually driven by efforts to undermine a future Palestinian state is fairly dramatic,” said the official.'
Jody Rudoren, ‘Netanyahu Says No Palestinian State if He Is Re-Elected,’New York Times 16 March 2015.:’ Mr. Netanyahu said he had authorized that construction during his first term to block Palestinians from expanding Bethlehem, and to prevent a “Hamastan” for militants from sprouting in the hills nearby.’
