​​​From its inception, the Israeli economy operated on two parallel principles: free enterprise and planned economy. Alongside the national economic infrastructure which operated largely though monopolies such as the Israel Electric company, Tnuva, or Solel Boneh, the country was also home to many private business of all sizes. While the large companies shed light on the greater national operations, the small businesses teach us about the building blocks of day-to-day life all across Israel. The advertisements of stores, workshops, service providers, members of the free professions, and others, bear testimony to  trends and norms in clothing, utilitarian objects, housing, transportation, leisure culture, tourism, and so forth. It is worth mentioning that this is an area in which the commercial relations and close cooperation between Jews and Arabs, particularly during the British mandate, are clearly in evidence.