Fox ad in Ramallah
Israeli fashion chain Fox is about to open its first store in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Ynet has learned. The store, which will be operated through a local franchisee, will sell women's, men's and children's clothes.
While some potential Palestinian customers expressed their enthusiasm over the new store, the issue sparked a row on social networks among Palestinian activists who are strongly against any normalization with Israel
and oppose the sale of Israeli companies' products in the Palestinian Authority.
An advertisement posted on one of the city's commercial centers in recent days says the clothing and homeware chain was planning to open a store on the premises.
Coming Soon Too?
Shoshana Chen
Swedish furnishing giant sends two senior executives to meet with Palestinian economy minister. 'We'll be glad to help set up the store,' says IKEA Israel owner Matthew Bronfman
One of the activists protesting the move expressed his resentment over the fact that the security coordination with Israel led to economic cooperation as well, while another activist slammed the PA leadership, charging that "the Fatah movement continues to disregard the suffering of the West Bank residents. It's doing everything it can to gain the Israeli trust and is trying to cooperate with them on the highest level, even though they are the Palestinian people's enemy."
By late 2012 the Fox Group had owned 135 stores in Israel and 245 abroad under the brand names Fox and F&X. The company operates in Cyprus, Singapore, Thailand, Mongolia, Russia and other countries, and engages in wholesale of Fox items online in Georgia and Germany.
The Fox Group also owns the Fox Home brand and co-owns the Billabong, Laline and Sack's chains. The company is also holds the franchise rights to American Eagle Outfitters and will soon open in Israel stores of The Children's Place (TCP), the biggest brand of kids' apparel and accessories in North America.
Navit Zommer and Meirav Crystal contributed to this report
You can contact Elior Levy, Ynet's Palestinian Affairs Correspondent, at: paldesk@gmail.com