"In Jerusalem" Weekly

 

Did tourism in Jerusalem recover over the High Holy Days?

During the months of September and October, the streets of Jerusalem were full of visitors – tourists from abroad, pilgrims and families of Israelis who returned to visit the capital.

The municipality estimates that over two million people came to Jerusalem to visit the religious, cultural and tourist sites during the month of Tishrei. This shows a massive increase from the pandemic restrictions last year, when merely 300,000 residents of Israel, only, visited the city.

There is no doubt that the municipality and other parties dealing with the branding of the city for domestic and foreign tourism achieved the best results for their efforts and returned the city to its position as the number one tourist site in the country. During the months of September and October, the streets of Jerusalem were full of visitors – tourists from abroad, pilgrims and families of Israelis who returned to visit the capital. Aside from the official sites, the cafes, restaurants and, of course, the hotels also saw a significant improvement compared to the same period in the past two years.

The big question is whether this is a revival of business in the city or a temporary improvement mainly related to the holiday period, a time in which the holy city receives many visitors anyway.

A total revival for Jerusalem or just a regular holiday boom?

In addition to this, the question of security – that individual acts of terrorism may turn into a wave that will completely change the situation – has become a cause of great concern. However, despite the concern, there has been no evidence of cancellations.

In the city center, it was again possible to see long lines of customers waiting for a table to become available in the restaurants and cafes just like in the good old days, mostly on Shlomzion Hamalka Street and especially in the Mamilla complex. But in the market alleys leading to the Western Wall in the Old City and despite the massive number of visitors, joy is on hold.

Omar, who owns a jewelry store, says that visitors, especially the religious and ultra-Orthodox families who came to the city to celebrate Sukkot, looked at the goods displayed in the shop window, but very few purchased items. “Also, the Christian pilgrims who returned to visit here did create a more pleasant atmosphere compared to the emptiness and sadness of the last two years, but these are not rich people and jewelry is not the most urgent thing for them. My neighbors, who sell souvenirs, did better business.”

Within the Christian Quarter and at the edge of the Muslim Quarter, several supermarkets have opened in recent years that make sure to offer kosher goods, including strictly kosher products. The owner of one of the supermarkets explained that for him, it was the most logical thing to do. “The religious visitors are the majority who pass through here, on their way to the Western Wall. They won’t buy anything without a kosher stamp, so obviously I put this stuff in. Without it, I would not have survived this period.”

“The religious visitors are the majority who pass through here, on their way to the Western Wall. They won’t buy anything without a kosher stamp, so obviously I put this stuff in. Without it, I would not have survived this period.”  Old City supermarket owner

Masses of Jerusalem residents and visitors from all over the country enjoyed the events, and the municipality is proud of the fact that despite the large number of visitors, they managed to maintain the cleanliness of the city during Tishrei.

Among the main sites in the city visited is the Western Wall, which was visited by about a million people during Tishrei and about 150,000 people during the Sukkot holiday. Simhat Beit Hashoevah and the Second Hakafot on Simhat Torah, held in synagogues, public spaces and, of course, at the Western Wall, attracted close to half a million people, according to Safra Square figures.

The mayor’s sukkah hosted 100,000 people during the week of Sukkot. In addition to city residents and visitors from dozens of cities in Israel and around the world, the mayor’s sukkah hosted events, shows and activities for all sectors of the population, religious and secular.

The International Jerusalem March brought 50,000 people to spend time in the city, about 5,000 of whom were tourists from 70 countries. As well, the largest conference of incoming tourism since the coronavirus can be seen as a sign of the return of tourism to Israel and Jerusalem.

HOWEVER, THIS prosperity has not touched all sides of the city’s economy. A decrease of 6% to 6.5% was recorded in the Malha Mall during the High Holy Days. The Alrov Mall in Mamilla is showing signs of recovery for the second month in a row and has recorded a 26% increase in holiday income. However, despite the increase, the income rate per square meter is still low and stands at NIS 65 per square meter compared to the national average of NIS 70 per square meter.

Despite this, it seems that Jerusalem trading sites enjoyed an increase in income, but less than expected. The Eid al-Fitr Holy Day in the Arab sector was expected to give an additional boost to the local economy and moderate the decrease in sales but did not actually occur due to the fact that the holiday fell on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, a day when most shopping centers were closed.

Tourist sites in the Old City, such as the Tower of David Museum, the Promenade of the Walls and free events that took place at the foot of the walls between the New Gate and the Nablus Gate attracted an estimated 300,000 more visitors. As well, the market of the Four Species attracted 40,00 buyers and visitors during four days of activity, between Yom Kippur and Sukkot eve.

In addition to the tourist sites, there were also events with many participants and festivals, such as a series of Slihot (special traditional prayers before Yom Kippur) events in Safra Square, Beit Ha’am and Binyenei Ha’uma in which 20,000 people participated, as well as a series of Slihot events at the Sultan’s Pool in which 20,000 people participated.

An estimated 20,000 people visited various festivals during Sukkot, such as the Ein Kerem Festival and the Derech Beit Lehem Festival. It is estimated that up to 100,000 people visited urban nature sites, such as the Gazelle Valley and various parks. 

Hotel occupancy in Jerusalem was full during Sukkot. According to municipality data, there was an increase of about 144% in the total number of overnight stays in the month of September (Rosh Hashanah) compared to that period in 2021. The reason for the increase is due to the overall exit from the corona crisis and tourists coming from abroad.

During the Sukkot holidays, the municipality increased the activity of its cleaning vehicles and added more sanitation workers than usual in crowded places and at the main events. In order to establish a festive atmosphere, the municipality installed decorative lighting and suspended all infrastructure works during the holidays.

Security patrols in parks and public spaces were set to increase the sense of personal security and sukkah safety. The district commander, Doron Turgeman, held a press briefing a day before the holidays and said that 47 attacks had been thwarted by police since the beginning of the year. In addition, he said that he signed orders to exclude Jews and Muslims from the Temple Mount, as thousands of police officers were on duty to secure the Tishrei holidays.

The satisfaction level at Safra Square is high; and these days, when the city’s leadership enters the year of the mayoral elections, the return to normalcy is, for the political echelon, the critical time to prepare for the next test. ❖

Take a trek with Akim-Jerusalem

Akim-Jerusalem’s 20th annual Trek will take place from November 30 to December 1 to promote full community inclusion for people with special needs. Friends and volunteers of the organization’s trekkers are invited to take part and support the project to advance a shared vision to enable people with special needs to achieve their full potential as contributing members of the community and Israeli society at large, says Akim-Jerusalem CEO Nir Levy.

For the last 20 years, Akim-Jerusalem trekkers have explored a different region of Israel, with the shared purpose of fundraising to meet the most vital needs of this special community. This year, the journey runs through Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea, through breathtaking paths and challenging trails. Each trekker is requested to make a commitment to raise at least NIS 5,000. Last year, trekkers ranging from ages eight to 81 raised NIS 200,000. This year, the expectation is to raise even more.

Builders of Jerusalem

Jerusalem tops the ranking of cities in the sale of new apartments: 581 new apartments were sold in the city between June and August 2022, an increase of 11.7% compared to the previous three months. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Jerusalem is the most sought-after city in the country for residential and investment purposes.

The increase in sales in Jerusalem goes against the general trend in the market during this period as well as in the last year, as the CBS data illustrates that in Jerusalem as new inventory of apartments is released to the market, it immediately translates into an increase in sales. However, that doesn’t mean that prices are decreased. Housing units in Jerusalem remain mostly unaffordable, a situation that does not fit mayor Moshe Lion’s vision to attract young couples and families to move to the city.

PIC Construction at the entrance of Jerusalem (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

The Jerusalem Declaration on Climate

At an event held in Jerusalem ahead of the United Nations Climate Conference, religious leaders gathered and called to support joint action on climate change. Last Thursday, the Department of Religions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, held the first interfaith conference on the role of religious leadership in dealing with climate change. The purpose of the conference is to encourage and empower religious communities in Israel and around the world to moderate the climate changes caused by humans and to promote the use of renewable energy.

At the event, the religious leaders from all the religious communities represented in the city signed the Jerusalem Declaration on Climate, calling to act urgently in order to address the challenges of climate change. Rabbi Yonatan Neril, founder and CEO of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, said that “the climate crisis is a spiritual crisis; therefore, we need the world’s religious leaders to solve the problem.”

Face-lifting

The municipality, through the local planning and construction committee, approved the establishment of a new 10-story building in the Rav Kook Center. The project, which has been waiting for approval for many years, is located in the Rabbi Kook Center on Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Street in Kiryat Moshe, next to the light rail route.

It will include 18,500 square meters for the premises of the institution, and social, community and welfare. The plan includes the demolition of an existing building and the construction of a 10-story building in its place, and the addition of three floors to the existing building. The plan has been approved according to the decision of the District Planning Committee to approve tall buildings along the light rail axis.

Culture and food

What is the connection between the culture of consumption and food security? Precisely why will the reduction come from the abundance, and how much money is hidden in garbage cans? These issues will be discussed at the Civilized Discourse #2 meeting, featuring experts in the field of food waste and consumption culture. It will take place on Sunday, November 27, at the Muslala Terrace on the Clal building (97 Jaffa Street).

The event will link the importance of the food system, which is an existential necessity and sustains us, as the main cause of the climate crisis. Because of the complexity, in-depth thinking by academics, society and government is required in the face of the future challenges that we as a society face. The organizers promote thinking alongside new ideas for solutions to the food and climate crisis that already exists, while taking a broad and comprehensive look at environmental, economic and social aspects.

The event will be led by Liat Arbel, head of Urban Sustainability, The Natural Step Israel organization; Amit Mestachkin, consultant, lecturer and entrepreneur to reduce food waste; and Naomi Tzur, founder and chairwoman of the Israeli Forum for Urbanism and the Green Jerusalem Fund. Admission is free, but registration is required. Call Itai at 054-302-4350; or Sharon at  052-456-0136.

Al-Walaja surrounded

The Jerusalem Municipality’s Finance Committee approved a NIS 3 million budget for the relocation of the al-Walaja checkpoint situated on the bypass road between Jerusalem and the al-Walaja village. The new location is approximately 2 km. closer to al-Walaja. According to the Ir Amim organization, it will block residents’ access to some 1,200 acres of their agricultural lands and Ein Haniya, a spring that once served as the village’s social center.

The Finance Committee’s agenda cited that the checkpoint’s relocation is being carried out at the request of the Jerusalem Municipality, Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs, and the Israel Police. However, adds Ir Amim, the checkpoint constitutes a military facility, so its location should be determined by the Israeli army. However, the army is not among the Israeli bodies requesting its relocation.

Smart Magen David Adom

In a special ceremony held at IDF Square last week, a smart Magen David Adom was inaugurated. The new stand is one of 30 new stands that were donated by Cross River founder and CEO Jill Gide, in cooperation with the Friends of Med Association for the Municipality of Jerusalem. They will be stationed throughout the capital in order to help save the lives of residents and tourists. The new positions will join the 66 MDA positions that are already operating in the city and saving lives in the public space.

The festive ceremony was attended by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion; Jill Gide, founder and CEO of Cross River; Uriel Goldberg, director of communications and external relations of Cross River; Uri Shaham, director of the Jerusalem region of MDA; Orli Ariel, CEO of the MDA Friends Association in Israel; and other dignitaries.

Money, money, money

The Elad organization received NIS 28 million from public funds for the development of Ben Hinnom Gorge in Jerusalem toward projects that expand Elad’s activities in the Old City Basin, near the village of Silwan, east of the Cinematheque in Jerusalem. Ownership of part of this plot of land is disputed, as according to the Palestinians it is owned by them.

In 2020, the Nature and Parks Authority (RTG) and Elad signed an agreement for a joint venture, and the Jerusalem Municipality issued landscaping orders, a tool that allows municipalities to take over a neglected area in the city in order to cultivate it, while the area remains in the hands of the private owners.

Of the NIS 28 m. received by the association, approximately NIS 20 m. was transferred to it for the construction of a rope bridge on the site. In addition, about NIS 2 m. was transferred to the association by the municipality for the development of the area, and another NIS 2 m. was transferred to it for similar reasons in a government decision from the last Jerusalem Day.

Fighting the level

The nature protection and public transportation organizations in Jerusalem are fighting the level separation at the Ora intersection and petitioned the district court on the matter earlier this week. In an administrative petition filed by the Society for the Protection of Nature and the organization 15 Minutes, in cooperation with the organization Saving the Jerusalem Mountains, against the National Planning and Construction Council, they demand the cancellation of the decision on the infrastructure changes for the transportation at the Ora intersection, the main concern of which is the level separation.

The main claim in this petition is that although it is a plan with far-reaching consequences for nature and the environment in the area, no environmental impact assessment was conducted for the plan, as required by law. Another claim of the petitioning organizations is that the planning process was riddled with fundamental flaws.

According to the petitioners, the National Council’s decision constitutes an unusual and problematic precedent, after the Council’s Appeals Sub-Committee unequivocally determined that it was necessary to prepare an environmental impact report and examine additional alternatives. However, the appeals board’s decision, as claimed in the petition, was overturned by the National Council, without an in-depth discussion of the consequences of the program. 

More on the matter to come soon. ❖

Source: This Week in Jerusalem 

JPOST https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-721907