By Alexander J. Apfel/TPS
The shooting last Friday on the popular bar-and-restaurant-lined Dizengoff Street shook the city known for its liberalism and vibrant night life. The attack, which left two people dead and seven injured, did not only affect the lives of the victims, but the very lifestyle of Tel Aviv residents and the livelihoods of many business owners in the area.
Tali Amar, who lives on Dizengoff Street and who often frequents the bars on her street, was at home when the attack took place. She said in an interview with TPS that there has been a noticeable albeit small change in the atmosphere of the normally buzzing hotspot since the attack.
“The vibe in Tel Aviv during and after the incident was really eerie. I have never felt a vibe like that before. The streets were clear of people for the first time I’ve seen. Everyone was told to stay in their houses until the attacker was found.”
“I left my house the next day and there were people around, but it wasn’t as busy as usual. People just get on with their lives here I guess, but it was still very somber,” Tali said.
Nevertheless, while the effects of the attack did have an impact on the Tel Aviv party center, bar managers told TPS about their determination to overcome the pressures the terrorists seek to impose.
Gal Shure, a co-manager of the Ilka bar on Dizengoff Street, said that while the incident had rocked the city and while he had observed what he described as “a natural but minor decline in business,” Israelis have long been familiar with the impact of terror. Shure said that Israelis would not allow any change to their daily lives despite the horrors of the attack.
“We will continue to live and we won’t allow our lives to change. I also think our customers feel this way. That is my attitude for my business and the attitude of the managers of other businesses here. We are holding on because we are strong,” Shure said.
He acknowledged that that some had been slightly more frightened than others to go about their daily routines, but that most people quickly left their houses to spend time in the bars, which remained “almost completely full and most returned to normal.”
Ariel Leizgold, manager of the 223 bar on Dizengoff Street, also told TPS that despite the fact that the street was completely empty the night of the attack, there was a nearly complete return to normality the following night. “We will get back to normal within a week. Morale is high. Tel Aviv is a great open and liberal city. It has unfortunately become accustomed to these incidents over the years. As always, we will persevere,” Leizgold said.
The New Year’s Day attack was the third to have been perpetrated in Tel Aviv during the recent wave of violence. A 19-year-old Arab embarked on a stabbing spree on Begin Street injuring an IDF female soldier in October.
Two people were killed and several injured when a terrorist entered a synagogue on Ben Tzvi Street and began stabbing worshipers in another attack the following month.