Free Republic

On a recent Sunday afternoon at a Rami Levy supermarket in the West Bank, an Israeli soldier patrolled next to a rack of toothpaste, on a two-for-one sale. Outside, Israeli and Palestinian customers walked through a new black metal detector on their way in; it was installed just an hour before.Rami Levy, the founder of the eponymous discount supermarket chain, touts his stores as an example of coexistence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Jews and Arabs work and shop together. It's an image that Palestinian activists have rejected as a mere illusion of harmony when Israelis control the land...

Speaking to Arutz Sheva, businessman and supermarket chain owner Rami Levy criticized politicians who blame corporations for increases in the cost of living. “I always argue that the public sector is more of a monopoly and more centralized than the private sector,” he said. “The bureaucracy it creates makes the cost of living more expensive by 15-20 percent,” he added. “When it comes to water, electricity, and property taxes...there’s no competition.”