A view of Jerusalem’s Mamilla Mall. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Jerusalem business owners whose revenues have suffered since the beginning of the current Palestinian terrorism wave were cautiously optimistic Sunday, saying that business has picked up over the past few days.

While some businesses are still reeling, various restaurants and coffee shops in the capital have reported a “slow and steady” return to business as usual. Israel Hayom reported that the Israeli Knesset’s Economics Committee plans to discuss the plight of Jerusalem business owners during its scheduled meeting on Tuesday.

“There is a very cautious return to business as usual in Jerusalem, but we are still a long way from the seasonal average,” said Hillel Shahar, head of business development at Eden, a subsidiary of the Jerusalem Development Authority. He added, “Some sectors are facing real difficulties because the public’s mood changes by the minute.”

According to Shahar, the Jerusalem Municipality is currently developing “an online platform to offer businesses information and support.”

The Jerusalem Cinematheque is one of the establishments to experience a recent rebound in business.

“Business suffered a little last week, but it’s picking up again. The residents of Jerusalem have a lot of experience with waves of terrorism, and we are doing our best to offer some sanity through culture,” the Cinematheque’s spokeswoman told Israel Hayom.

Yet the Zap Rest restaurant and entertainment website said that the past week has seen a 64-percent drop in the public’s search for information about Jerusalem restaurants, and a 50-percent drop in similar searches for restaurants in Tel Aviv.