This week, Al-Arabiya TV reported on a new shopping mall that opened recently in Gaza. The report aired on August 27, 2010. Last month, MEMRI published a report on the mall by a Palestinian website.[1]
The following are excerpts from the Al-Arabiya report on the mall:
· To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/0/0/0/0/0/0/2596.
· Also visit the MEMRI Palestinian Media Studies Project page, http://www.memri.org/palestinianmediastudiesproject.
Reporter: "In this shopping center, thousands of Gazans have begun to buy their food and clothing. It was named the "Gaza Mall” by its owners, a group of Palestinian businessmen, some of whom are affiliated with Hamas."
Salesman: "It is a pleasure to do all your shopping in one place. Families spend two hours or more here, enjoying themselves shopping. The number of shoppers and visitors is growing day by day."
Shopper 1: "We have begun to feel that there is some progress, like in the Gulf states. This is a humble start, but Allah be praised, there is progress."
Reporter: "In the air-conditioned two-storey building, there are dozens of shops selling shoes, clothes, perfumes, and accessories. The shelves are packed with foreign, Israeli, and Arab products. On the ground floor, there is a supermarket and a small restaurant."
Shopper 2: "The prices of some products are high, while others are reasonable. We manage."
Shopper 3: "It's a new thing for us. You can get anything here. I don’t know how they get all these things, with the siege and all."
Shopper 4: "It is as if there’s no siege at all. People are buying things. They all want to make their children happy."
Reporter: "It is modest compared to shopping centers in the neighboring countries, but some people here consider it a step forward.
"This is Hannan Al-Masri, Al-Arabiya TV, from Gaza."
Endnote:
[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 3126, "Egyptian Journalist: In Actual Terms, Gaza Is Not Under Siege," July 28, 2010, Egyptian Journalist: In Actual Terms, Gaza Is Not Under Siege.
