JERUSALEM – One of Jerusalem’s most popular Palestinian hummus joints, Lina, used to serve about 100 Israeli diners a day – the majority of its clientele. But after the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian violence last fall, the place saw business drop to about three or four Israeli diners a day, and even many Palestinians abandoned the landmark Old City establishment.
“It’s been hard,” said Ghaleb Zahadeh, Lina’s manager. “It’s getting better a little bit.” But not by much – over the last two weeks, he said he served about 10 Israeli customers a day, all of them longtime regulars.
Although the seven-month wave of violence appears to be subsiding, many Arabs and Jews still avoid each other’s areas. Fewer Palestinians picnic in parks on the Jewish side of town, and both groups are largely avoiding trips to the Old City, home to Jerusalem’s holy sites, where many attacks have occurred.
“People are still not leaving their safe zones,” said researcher Marik Shtern of the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, who recently conducted focus groups with Israelis and Palestinians in the city. “The geography of fear is still very dominant.”
Overall, the atmosphere has improved since the tense days of last fall. Posters advertising pepper spray and self-defense classes have been papered over with ads for concerts. Bars are abuzz. Some 25,000 runners streamed through the city in last month’s marathon.