According to the Hebrew edition of Haaretz newspaper, Israel's Jerusalem Municipality plans to approve a scheme to establish at least nineteen new synagogues in the illegal settlement of Har Homa to the south-east of the city. Haaretz quoted settler-colonists saying, "This decision means the end of Har Homa as a multi-directional district; it will be purely for religious Jews in the future."

The media report said that about 30,000 Jewish settlers now live in Har Homa, which was established at the end of the nineties on the occupied land of Jabal Abu Ghoneim. Israel annexed the land illegally and regards Har Homa as part of "Greater Jerusalem" even though it is part of the occupied West Bank. Thousands of housing units are planned to cope with an increase in the number of illegal settlers in the area.