Jewish Holidays Turn Jerusalem Markets into Closed Areas and Worsen Traders' Suffering

Jerusalem - Afaq News - The Jerusalem Governorate stated that the commercial shops in Jerusalem, especially in the Old City and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, are facing harsh and accumulated economic conditions due to closure policies, movement restrictions, assaults, and practices accompanying Jewish holidays. This comes at a time when traders have been experiencing one of the most difficult economic crises in the markets of Jerusalem since October 7, 2023, due to the sharp decline in tourism and the decrease in the number of visitors.

The governorate clarified that what Jerusalem is witnessing during the Jewish holidays is not limited to road closures and restrictions on the movement of citizens, but its impact directly extends to the livelihoods of traders, restaurant owners, tourist shops, hotels, artisans, and those working in the transport and tourism services sector.

It pointed out that some traders are forced to close their shops during the holiday days, either due to the measures and restrictions imposed by the occupation authorities or out of fear of their shops and properties being subjected to assault and vandalism amid the marches and gatherings organized by settlers in the Old City and its surroundings.

It added that the scene witnessed in the markets of Jerusalem during the holidays has become alarmingly repetitive; streets are closed, citizens' movement is restricted, the entrances to the Old City are affected by security measures, while the ability to access shops and markets declines, leaving the Jerusalem trader with two costly options: to open his store in a tense security atmosphere or to close it and bear the loss of an additional day of income.

The Jerusalem Governorate confirmed that these conditions come at a time when the Jerusalem tourism economy is already suffering from an unprecedented crisis since October 7, 2023, after the war and the accompanying security and political restrictions and the decline in tourism movement caused extensive damage to the tourism and trade sector in the city.

The governorate pointed out that the tourism sector is one of the main pillars of the Jerusalem economy, and that the damage it suffers does not stop at the hotel or tourist shop, but extends to the tour guide, bus driver, taxis, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, handicrafts, restaurants, property owners, workers, and dozens of sectors linked to tourists.

It was explained that the economic assessment data for the Old City showed the extent of the damage inflicted on tourist shops; as commercial activities related to tourism have stopped for a long time after October 2023, and a large percentage of souvenir shops remained closed due to the sharp decline in the number of tourists.

The governorate stated that the Jewish holidays today add a new layer of suffering to an economic crisis from which traders have not yet recovered, as they coincide with road closures, tightened security measures, reduced movement of citizens, and the prevention of normal access to markets, in addition to the fears that traders live from attacks by settlers on shops and properties.

The Jerusalem governorate warned that the continuation of this policy threatens to gradually empty the Old City of its Palestinian commercial and tourism function, and weaken shop owners who have inherited their professions and trades over generations, which reflects not only on the economy but also on the social and cultural fabric of the city.

The governorate confirmed that the Jerusalem trader does not need new seasons of closure, but needs a real tourist season, an open city for visitors, open roads for citizens, and security that protects shops and properties instead of becoming a tool to restrict their owners.

The international community and relevant international tourism and heritage institutions are called upon to pay attention to the economic aspect of the crisis in Jerusalem, and not to reduce what is happening in the city to just the security side, emphasizing that the continued decline in tourism, the closure of markets, and the imposition of movement restrictions threaten thousands of families that directly or indirectly depend on the economy of the Old City.

The Jerusalem Governor concluded by saying: "Since October 7, 2023, the Jerusalem merchant has been paying the price for a crisis in which he was not a party, and with every Jewish holiday, closures, restrictions, and losses are renewed. Jerusalem is not just a passage for rituals and processions; it is a city where its residents live, work, and trade, and its markets have the right to remain open, its merchants have the right to earn their daily bread, and Palestinian tourism has the right to regain its vitality away from closure, fear, and siege."