Contrasting declining business with rising rentals, Jewish merchants in Jerusalem have threatened a strike to force Government regulations of store rentals. They have been joined by Arab merchants of the Old City quarter, who also threatened a strike for lower rents.
A survey by the Jewish Merchants’ Association said that retail business had dropped more than 50 per cent in the past three years, while rentals rose sharply, in some cases as much as 100 per cent. Decrease in Jews’ buying power, Arab boycotts of Jewish shops, the drop in tourist trade and political uncertainty were cited as causes of depressed business conditions.
With an estimated 18,000 persons affected — including the merchants, their employes and families — the association is urging on the Government a program of rent regulation, which would empower the Municipal Rent Commission to adjust rates downward as far as 40 per cent and ban summary evictions for non-payment of rent.
The demands led to a threat of a strike, which was postponed through mediation of the Jewish Agency pending negotiations. The association has advised its members, however, not to sign new leases until further notice.
The association’s business survey said the decline varied from 30 to 90 per cent, with business failures on the increase, merchants falling behind in payment of accounts, banks refusing credit and many merchants evicted from long-occupied places of business.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
