After reports of grenades, explosive charges, gunfire and arson attempts against Japanika chain branches across the country, one might assume customers would prefer to keep their distance, at least until things calm down. Empty tables, worried staff and diners thinking twice before entering the restaurant. However, a visit to two chain branches in Gush Dan presented a different picture. The restaurants had diners, dishes continued to come out and the routine, at least on the surface, continued as normal.

Even the staff we met showed no concern. When asked by one of the customers about the wave of attacks against the chain branches, one employee said we do not know anything about the background to the incidents or what is happening, I think it is related to criminals. For them, at least at this stage, work continues as usual. Of course I heard about the grenades and what happened at the branches, but it did not make me think twice about coming, said Roei Arava, a young man from Givatayim who came to eat. The restaurant is operating normally, everyone is sitting and eating and there is no sense of fear or danger here.

Roni, another diner, explained why he decided to come despite the reports. The grenades are thrown at hours when the place is closed, so I am not worried, he said. For him, the fact that the incidents occurred during hours when the branches were not active reduces the sense of danger. Yael, another regular customer who works nearby said: It is unpleasant to hear about grenades and gunfire, but I do not intend to change my life. We came to eat here as usual and will continue to come.

The routine scene in the restaurants stands in sharp contrast to the sequence of events in recent days. Japanika branches in several cities became targets of arson attempts, throwing of explosive devices, fragmentation grenades and gunfire. The police opened an investigation into the incidents, collected footage from security cameras and police sappers collected findings from the scenes in an attempt to reach the perpetrators and so far no one has been arrested.

It started at two separate scenes in Tel Aviv, where a person was lightly injured, and shortly after explosions were also reported in Herzliya and Ness Ziona - where property damage was caused, but there were no casualties. Later that night, branches of the chain belonging to Barak Abramov - who recently entered into partnership with Leumi Partners - were hit. This morning, a grenade was reported thrown at a house in Rishon LeZion as well.

According to suspicions, the wave of explosions is related to a conflict between the crime families Musli and Jerushi, some of whose Japanika branches in the center - operating under franchise - are connected to it. The Musli family, which started its path in the Hatikva neighborhood and Kfar Shalem, is considered one of the strongest crime organizations in Israel, and it is also among the only Jewish families that survived among all the Arab crime organizations. At the head of the organization stand the brothers Yossi and Eli, who are considered police targets and are suspected of involvement in the field of digital currencies and providing credit.

Even earlier, within three nights three different branches of the chain were attacked: In Givatayim an attempt was made to set fire to the branch on the night between Saturday and Sunday, and the following night an explosive device was thrown at the branch in Ramat Gan - and a fragmentation grenade at the branch in Kiryat Ono. There were no casualties, but property damage was caused. Last night around 23:30 a fragmentation grenade was thrown at a private house in Shoham. Police assess that it was a case of mistaken identity. One of the neighbors said: There was such a loud noise that the first thing we did was run to the protected space.