Traders surveyed estimate a 15 to 20% drop in their turnover since the Hamas attack in Israel. Since the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, the atmosphere is no longer quite the same on Rue des Rosiers. In this emblematic street in the 4th arrondissement of Paris where many kosher shops are located, a caterer-baker even closed his terrace for two days. And since reopening, the customers are often tourists. “The one who believes is not afraid. (…) I love this neighborhood, which is for me a neighborhood of the heart, and especially we take example from our brothers and sisters who are in Israel and who are experiencing complicated moments, and not just now,” explains Sandrine, a tourist from Marseille, to BFM Paris-Île-de-France. “We must not stop, we must continue, we have no choice, hope makes us live and waiting makes us die”, continues another tourist from Marseille. The regulars are deserting. If some tourists continue to frequent these shops, the regulars are less present. The fear of acts against the Jewish community has invaded this neighborhood. “We had some customers who canceled their orders,” explains Vesna, a shopkeeper. “There are some who come, who buy a little more to put in the freezer to have reserves.” A decrease in turnover of 15 to 20%. Traders are unanimous, business is experiencing a vertiginous drop. Alain Korcarz, manager of the Korcarz bakery, estimates a 50% drop in attendance at his store, and explains it by the “fear of people entering stores, strolling in the street.” “I experienced the attack on Rue des Rosiers (in 1982, editor’s note), I experienced the attack on Rue Copernic (in the 16th arrondissement in 1980, editor’s note), I will not say today that I am not afraid, that I no longer fear the attack, that’s false,” he confides. Anxious, many sellers and managers refuse to testify openly. Those surveyed estimate that they have lost between 15 and 20% of their turnover in the past three weeks. On October 14, the Minister of the Interior reported 65 arrests and 189 anti-Semitic acts recorded in the territory in one week. Solenn Boulant, Jean-Baptiste Graziani, with Emilie Roussey. Most read.
