Wednesday, July 24
Vandalism at Kanaan: Israeli-Palestinian restaurant attacked
Among an increasingly divided political landscape, Kanaan deliberately stands out. The restaurant is jointly operated by an Israeli, Oz Ben David, and a Palestinian, Jalil Dabit, who emphasise culinary and cultural unity. Even the name of their establishment, Kanaan, derives from a time before the modern conflict (Canaan was the name for the land for Israel-Palestine during the 2nd millennium BC).
But apparently, their message of peace has made them a target to some.
The restaurant was vandalised last weekend, with unknown perpetrators breaking in to the premises, smashing glasses and spilling wine on the floor. Nothing was stolen, and police are investigating the possibility of a political motive.
The good news is that in the 24 hours following an online appeal for donations to cover the cost of the damages, Kanaan met their goal of €15,000. The campaign is still open, and the restaurant wrote on Instagram that they are “channeling all additional donations towards our projects that promote Israeli and Palestinian coexistence”.
Kanaan also made a dedicated post on Instagram to curb misinformation spreading online. Some media outlets have described the incident as an antisemitic attack. As the owners point out, the motives of the attack are not known. “We refuse to point fingers at a specific group and instead condemn all forms of hate – whether it be antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any other divisive force.”
