Some of you may not find this blurb to be so appetizing; however, I would like you to consider the relevance (and the indigestion it has caused me). Understand that I have always been one to eat out at various restaurants. I love to eat and love even more to patronize the many wonderful restaurants in the city in which I reside, despite the fact that none compare to my momma’s cookin’. If there is any cuisine I always enjoy and can never have enough of, it is Mid Eastern cuisine (specifically Palestinian). What you may ask does this have to do with the politics in Palestine.
Well let me tell you. Within the last couple months, I have patronized four (yes..count them…4) restaurants that had menu items that included “Israeli couscous” as a description to one of the dishes served. Mind you, none of these restaurants were Mid Eastern. What the hell is that all about? Well I asked the owner of the first restaurant I ate at and was told (with a naive shrug) that “that was on the package”. Consider that this “couscous” is not the same size of the authentic Morrocan couscous, but more the size of Palestinian maftool.
Holy Hummus! Can you imagine? First they steal our land, now they’re trying to steal our food. When the hell did Israeli’s begin having couscous in their diet. I’ll tell you, it was when they realized they had no culture other than matza balls and denying people their human rights. And now I’m beginning to question the matza balls. In fact, even matza balls aren’t “Israeli”. These dumplings are a traditional dish of the Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews. Not from Israel. Israel was illigitimately established 60 years ago and really doesn’t have any culture other than what was brought from Europe. The only culture unique to them since their formation is their culture of mass murders, land expropriation, massacres, denial of human rights, torture, imprisonment without cause, restricting the freedom of movement, building Apartheid walls and…welll…you get the point. They have a culture of hate.
Even if you read the Wikipedia definition of couscous, it cites the origination to Arab countries of North Africa and references maftool as unique to Palestinians and Lebanese. It does mention that it is popular with Jews “of North African descent”, key phrase being “of North African descent”. Location people!
You know, when the Zionists tried to claim Palestine was a “land without people for a people without a land” maybe what they really meant to say was a “land full of people with a rich culture for a people with no culture or morals”. At least then people wouldn’t have condemned them for their lies.
I used to find it amusing when Israeli’s attempted to claim that hummus and falafel were “Israeli” until a Palestinian chef friend of mine told me they are now making stamps in Israel with hummus and falafel on them as an attempt to legitimize yet another lie. The picture above is an actual Israeli stamp and not a joke. It displays a number of falafel with the actual utensil used to make them. The stamp is actually categorized under the series Israeli food. I don’t read Hebrew, but I can only guess that the bottom of the stamp reads “We stole their land, why not steal their food”.
Unbelievable.