In the alleys of the ancient city of Jerusalem, the visitor is often confused about where he wanders because of the crowding of what he can see in this small spot in terms of space, large and deep in terms of history, heritage and commercial specialties.
But today, 6 months after the arrival of the Corona virus to the occupied capital, the scene is no longer what it was before the pandemic arrived.
The sound of the boys of the vehicles carrying goods, which was causing congestion and impeding the movement of passers-by, disappeared. No longer heard the voice of any of them screaming, "Beware, be careful." May not sell anything.
His voice and the voice of the vegetable and fruit vendors who usually sweat them as they called to customers to lure them with the price of a kilo of mango, watermelon or figs faded, and their eagerness dimmed, and they sat on their chairs whispering about the fate of the markets and shops that had not yet closed their doors.
All this coincides with the visitor as soon as he enters the Damascus Gate, and by its branching into one of the markets the scene grows darker, in the markets of Khan al-Zayt and al-Wadi, which are more refreshing and vibrant compared to the rest of the antique markets, a number of shops closed their doors, and some merchants are no longer able to cover their operating expenses in light of scarcity. Pedestrian traffic and lack of tourist arrivals.
Doors locked up forever The
merchant Abu Yaqoub, whose shop is located in the middle of the Khan al-Zayt market, specializes in selling leather shoes and bags. He stands at the door at times to monitor the movement of the market, and stares at the lock of the closed store door directly opposite him, then enters and tries to occupy himself in arranging the stacked shoe boxes, without That any customer passes for the duration of our presence in his shop.
Abu Yaqoub tells Al-Jazeera Net that 80% is the percentage of damage that has been caused to him since the arrival of the Corona pandemic to the country, especially since leather goods may attract tourists, who do not arrive now, and do not attract locals because the Chinese industry has replaced this national industry.
Abu Yaqoub confirmed that his shop is no longer able to support his family, and when he was asked about the possibility of sitting a full day of work without a single customer entering the store, his voice rose, saying, “Successive days pass without anyone entering my shop, but I am determined to open it on a daily basis. I cannot see the locks permanently attached to it. "
We bid farewell to the angry merchant about the situation in the Khan al-Zayt market, urging those around him to adhere to wearing the muzzle, for fear of the arbitrary violations of the Israeli police, which prompted many shoppers to leave the antique market permanently.
Turning left to El-Wad Street across the Via Dolorosa, the scene seems more painful, as all the shops selling tourist antiques are closed, devoid of the familiar faces of merchants, and the hymns of thousands of Christian tourists who walk on this road daily, carrying a large wooden cross and going through all the stages of the Lord's suffering Christ according to their beliefs.
Al-Wad Street, the main artery leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is devoid of worshipers, its shops are empty of customers, and many of the doors are closed, while the owners of some of them were forced to rent out stores with small sums to keep their doors only open.
In the bazaar, which relies entirely on tourists, at the end of its alleyway leading to Cardo Street, which is controlled by the Israeli occupation, the eighty tailor Abu Tayseer Karaki, who has been repairing clothes for 57 years, stands.
He wanders between the closed shops around him, and looks at papers fixed by the various Israeli arms, between the cracks of the doors that warn of a greater accumulation of taxes and bills, then he returns to sit behind his ancient sewing machine.
Above his shop, the sign points to the historic "Bashoura Market", which has disappeared and Abu Tayseer has always relied on its patrons for his livelihood.
From the Al-Saadiyya neighborhood in the old city, Abu Tayseer goes daily to his very narrow seam, to spend hours without work, then go to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform the noon prayer, and return to his home, and what is different in his life now is wearing only the muzzle that burdened him as an elderly person, wishing that God will lift the burden soon, and the closed shops in the Old City will reopen.
Economic collapse,
former Minister of National Economy Al-Maqdisi, Mazen Sinokrot, says that the Jerusalem economy depends mainly on tourism, which constitutes 40% of the GDP of the Jerusalem economy.
He added in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net that "the old town, which is inhabited by about 43 thousand people, contains 1,400 shops, 45% of them specialize in oriental antiques, and therefore they depend directly on tourism."
In light of the absence of natural visitors, who are foreign tourists, from the Old City, and the closure of Al-Aqsa for a long time due to the Corona pandemic, the economic situation in Jerusalem was affected.
Sinokrot believes that "some believe that it is better to close the shop to get out with the least losses, and this undoubtedly will cause a heavy and painful cumulative loss in the long run, because the economic lifeline in the Old City is essential and important to protect the people in it, and thus protect the holy places, because the people of the Old City Whether those who live in them or who work through the shops are considered the basic and solid fortress to protect the sanctities, and protect our historical, religious, political, civilizational, national and cultural heritage.
The former minister also talks about the many plans that were put in place to revive the economy of the Old City, but all of them collided with the inability of financial support, without which many shops could not reopen their doors.
Regarding the details, he says that the required economic recovery is direct financial support, reducing expenses to a minimum, and an internal Palestinian program, meaning that there will be interventions by the people of the 48 to enhance the purchasing power, and the Jerusalemites themselves are required not to go to Israeli stores at the expense of the Old City stores.
Sinokrot describes the Old City as the oldest commercial market in history, as it is with an area of less than a square kilometer, surrounded by a great historical wall, and it has 7 doors for people to enter and exit, and there are 1400 shops, and it is inhabited by 43 thousand people, and there are no such socio-economic characteristics in the world. It has to be promoted.
Regarding closed shops, he says that "before the pandemic, their number was 380 shops, and now this number has doubled, because the eastern antiques shops are completely closed. Today, the number exceeds 700 closed shops, which constitute 50% of the total number of shops in the Old City."