With War Keeping Customers and Workers Away, Israeli Retailers Struggle to Keep Doors Open

Small business owners across Israel are reducing hours or shutting down entirely as the war with Iran enters its fourth week, with missiles raining down and schools remaining closed. At the Bezalel Market in central Tel Aviv, longtime stallholder Erez Davidov, 36, sat waiting for shoppers who were nowhere to be seen. The period before Passover normally marks the start of his busy season, but the conflict has emptied the streets.

Café owner Zahi Zilberlicht, whose neighborhood in Tel Aviv was damaged by a nearby missile strike, said turnover has dropped by 50 percent. He reported that many businesses around him have no customers at all, and others have seen revenue slump by 50 to 70 percent. The Finance Ministry estimated the economy lost approximately NIS 9.4 billion ($3 billion) in the first week of the war alone, with ongoing weekly losses of about NIS 4.5 billion ($1.4 billion).

The government reopened workplaces at the end of last week to ease the economic toll, but the education system remained shuttered, leaving parents unable to work because they cannot leave young children at home. Self-employed workers have been hit hardest: more than half reported that their income has not recovered to pre-war levels, and many say the proposed government compensation framework is insufficient. (TOI/VFI News)

“Dear God, we lift up every shopkeeper, café owner, farmer, and self-employed worker in Israel who is watching their livelihood slip away under the weight of this war. We pray that You provide for every family struggling to pay their bills and that no one goes hungry or loses hope. Please give the government the wisdom to act swiftly with meaningful aid and strengthen the spirit of resilience among the Israeli people. We trust that You are the provider of all good things and that You will sustain Your people through this valley. In Yeshua’s Name.”