Inside the historic walls of the city of Jerusalem, the holy month of Ramadan is blessed with a unique atmosphere, with its ancient Islamic monuments and the spread of ancient markets, which give a special splendor to the holy month, making the traveler book a first class ticket, .

This image is indispensable in the streets and alleys of Jerusalem, and its features, but Israel, which disturbs those scenes, strives to distort them, and to disrupt the times of the Palestinians, and the execution of all the Ramadan atmosphere ranging from prayer, shopping and shopping to harassment of shop owners, Further exacerbating the economic situation, which is facing an unprecedented state of deterioration caused by continuing and increasing Israeli practices.

On the one hand, the Israeli authorities impose a multi-pronged siege on the entry of Palestinians from the West Bank and inside the Occupied Territories into Jerusalem, whether in the form of prayer or shopping, and even The visit of relatives and wombs, on the other hand, frees many of the violations of the daily excessive against the owners of shops and rugs, to complete the Department of procedures by imposing a large number of taxes, and the large amount, which excludes none of the parents and merchants.

Violations and restrictions

Jerusalem merchants, shopkeepers in ancient Jerusalem's historic markets, complain of the high taxes imposed on them by the Israeli authorities, as well as the effect of the repeated closures of their shops, due to arbitrary occupation decisions under the pretext of security arguments.

"Israel, under the pretext of the security situation, is imposing more restrictions and security measures, which are affecting and affecting commercial movement, especially as they coincide with the repeated closure practices of shops and markets, which limits the activity of the markets," says Aburafat Abusenina, a shop owner in the alleys of Bab al-Amoud. .

"These violations are unfair, they have no legal basis, and they restrict our business. We offer goods to attract pedestrians, so that we can provide a living," he said. For our families. "

On the other hand, the director of the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights, Ziad Hamouri, stressed that the closure of Jerusalem by the Israeli authorities to worshipers from the occupied West Bank and the occupied territories, the withdrawal of their permits and the age of worshipers, Antique.

"Before the month of Ramadan, the Israeli authorities announced a series of restrictions for Palestinians inside occupied Jerusalem and at Al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy month, including determining the age of access to the mosque and the occupied city throughout the Holy Month and during Eid al-Fitr."

Under these procedures, persons under 30 years of age from the West Bank and the West Bank will not be allowed to obtain permits to reach Al-Aqsa, while those between 30 and 40 years of age are required to obtain special permits to reach Al-Aqsa on Fridays and on Laylat Al-Qadr only. They are over 40 years old and women enter without permission.

Hamouri pointed out that Israel's imposition of restrictions on the arrival of the Palestinians of 48, further deterioration of economic conditions in Jerusalem, pointing out that most traders complain about the decline of their activity, and they are indebted to the lack of shoppers, especially as the markets of Jerusalem is the main artery of the people of the home and the West Bank.

A fierce tax campaign

Israel is waging a fierce tax campaign against the merchants and residents of the Old City of Jerusalem, the most dangerous of which is the Arnona tax, which the municipality of Israel collects from Jerusalemites as a tax on property, whether houses or shops, worth NIS 300 per square meter.

According to the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce in Jerusalem, Hijazi al-Rishq, the Arnona tax, along with 17% taxes, income and national insurance, is exhausting the merchants and residents of Jerusalem, pointing out that they owe the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem tens of thousands of shekels due to the accumulation of taxes and the inability to repay them.

According to official statistics, 75% of Jerusalem's Palestinian population lives below the poverty line, while unemployment among young people reaches more than 30% in the city.