RAMALLAH, West Bank — After years of stagnation following extensive damage and destruction by the Israeli military during the second intifada (2000-2005), Jenin currently finds itself in the midst of an economic renaissance, having emerged as a thriving retail shopping hub. Each year, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Israel cross the Green Line to frequent businesses and shops there, along with Palestinians from elsewhere on the West Bank. Both are attracted primarily by the affordable prices. Palestinians living in Israel access the West Bank city through the Jalama checkpoint.
In general, prices tend to be higher in Israel because per capita income is higher there than in Palestine. In addition, product type, quality and taxes, or a combination thereof, also contribute to prices being higher in the markets of Arab villages and towns in Israel than in the West Bank. In 2017, Mohammed Kamil, the director general of the Jenin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cited Israeli figures in announcing that Palestinians living in Israel spent $365 million on the other side of the Green Line in 2016.
