Unfortunately, this week has seen yet another round of Palestinian violence and Israeli response. It is now evident that the cause is racial and ethnic rather than economic and social. That said, there was one moment of ironic laughter, when it was learned that nothing has prevented the brother in law of President Abbas receiving private medical treatment in  Tel Aviv.

But while these horrific acts occur on the streets of Israel, peoples of all persuasions are trying to make a living. In the Muslim parts of Jerusalem, store owners are not hiding their pessimism. Trade is right down. Both their Jewish and Arab customers are staying away.

As a business mentor with many several clients in retail and service sectors, I can report that the feeling is pretty mutual on the Jewish side of the divide. And regarding tourism, it is not that agents have cancelled trips for the present month, but the numbers for November and December remain bleak. It would seem that everyone suffers together.

However, there remain some bright spots.

First, foreign direct investment (FDI) in Israel remains strong. For example, a Chinese pharma giant, Haisco, announced this week a US$10 million venture with Endoscan. Similarly, Microsoft’s purchase of Secure Islands for US$150 million will enable the American conglomerate to base its growing international cyber activities in the Holy Land.

To give these numbers some greater perspective, it is estimated that for the first 9 months of 2015, FDI has reached US$3.2 billion, about 95% of the figure for the whole of 2014. The previous year, the total was barely US$1.5 billion.

What impressed me just as much was the announcement of a new government programme to improve the collection of taxes In Israel. Led by the consulting agency, Andersen, the aim is to add an additional 10 billion shekels – around US2.5 billion – to the kitty, annually.

That number is particularly significant just now. It is approximately what the treasury was intending to cut from the public accounts for 2016. Not only would these reductions have come from the defence sector, they would have also been withdrawn from the extensive road building campaign and social services that serve both Jewish and non-Jewish communities. Hopefully, they will remain unscathed.

Which of course begs the question: How is the Palestinian Authority using its war chest of billions, carefully protected overseas, to secure peace for all?