Shop Owner Dumps Meat Into Street in Protest Over Clan Violence in Kafr Kana

An unusual protest unfolded in Kafr Kana in the Lower Galilee, where butcher Maher Awouda threw all the meat from his butcher shop into the street to denounce the violence and shootings that have endangered his business and forced it to close. The dramatic act was carried out with the help of his family.

The town has been hit by a continuing conflict that has already shut down more than 60 businesses. Only days earlier, gunfire struck a business in Kafr Kana and seriously wounded a man who was there. Later that same night, unidentified gunmen also fired at a clothing and shoe store.

According to people close to Awouda, the business owners are furious because they have lost their livelihood and cannot even reopen their shops. They said the protest reflected their frustration after repeated violence left them without work. Residents added that Kafr Kana has been devastated by the feuds, and that business owners and civilians alike are paying the price. One resident said that attempts to resolve the conflict have failed and that some people have been forced to leave the village to save their lives.

A local member of a rival family, Eid Abu Subhi Hamza, said he witnessed what happened to Awouda and that it was painful. He stressed that his family is not in conflict with Awouda's family and said, “We appreciate them very much.” He added that he would visit Awouda even without a reconciliation agreement.

The violence comes less than two months after an indictment was filed against a Kafr Kana resident over the murder of Zaid Amara, in an alleged blood feud linked to the killing of a relative of Ali Awouda. Prosecutors said the assailants tracked Amara from the Krayot area to Ibtin near Nazareth after a device was attached to his car, blocked him at the village entrance, fired dozens of shots, and then burned the operational vehicle that had been smuggled from the territories.