Defining national identity in Jerusalem can be a rather assertive and indisputable process for the inhabitants of the city. For a foreigner who observes the cultural idiosyncrasies that Israelis and Palestinians share, one of the most evident commonalities seen is in the culture of food. Though signs of falafel and shawarma can be seen outside restaurants in both West and East Jerusalem, Palestinians and Israelis have found themselves contending over who owns the right to claim several of these food items as “theirs”, and often accuse each other of cultural appropriation.
A 2004 postcard issued by Israel declared falafel as “Israel’s national snack.” Anyone who has spent time in the Middle East can attest to the fact that a falafel sandwich, served in a pita over pickled vegetables, has been a common sight seen in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and the West Bank for almost decades now. Several culinary experts even agree to that the first traces of falafel were found in Pharaonic Egypt. It comes as no surprise that advocates for ownership of this fried snack come from both sides of the Palestinian and Israeli fence. Chef Moshe Basson of The Eucalyptus restaurant in Jerusalem argues that ownership doesn’t come only from inventing an idea, but by sharing it with the world. “I agree that falafel was being cooked in Palestinian homes even before we started using this dish in Israel, but in the 1950’s, it was Israeli Jews who migrated to New York City and started selling falafel sandwiches in the streets of Manhattan, thus giving falafel to the world. I can without hesitation claim that Israel owns falafel.”
Chef Moshe is also a founding member of an initiative titled “Chefs for Peace”, where cooks from various religious and ethnic denominations come together to explore cultural identity and coexistence through food. Chef Moshe says, “If you look in my kitchen, you will find people working who come from so many nationalities and religions. This gives me hope. Seeing these people working together in my restaurant gives me hope that someday, we will all be able to live together and this horrible conflict will come to an end.”
The fight over za’atar
One of the most politicized ingredients found in Palestinian and Israeli homes is za’atar, a spice blend which is not just central to the culinary debate between both nationalities, but has also found itself entangled in the laws of the land. Palestinians have adopted their methods of agriculture in a way that cultivation and harvest in their land has become central to the very essence of Palestinian identity. Farming for za’atar too is seen as something traditionally Palestinian. Thus, when the Israeli government decided to outlaw the picking of za’atar in 1977, by declaring it an endangered and protected species, Palestinians faced confiscation of their harvest, fines and even arrests, while trying to bring their za’atar from the West Bank to the markets in Jerusalem.
Holm Al-Masri, a Palestinian spice trader in the Old City of Jerusalem, has been selling za’atar in the Suq Khan A-Zeit for close to eleven years. He says rather than the ban on picking za’atar, it is the governmental mistreatment of Palestinian businesses which affects his trade the most. “They levy such high taxes on my shop because I am a Palestinian that we have to live on a hand-to-mouth basis. The Israeli government is trying it’s best to shut my store and make me leave, but I will not budge. I am not going anywhere.” When asked about the debate on za’atar being promoted as an Israeli ingredient, Al-Masri responds, “Who told you this lie? Za’atar comes from Palestine, even before you could find it in other parts of the Middle East. The Israeli’s are trying to steal our culture and identity from us. Za’atar was born in the Palestinian land, just as I was.”
A shared culinary culture could be a step towards peace
The term “Israeli cuisine” itself can be contentious in parts of Jerusalem. The fact that so much of the food served as “Israeli” can be traced back to the migration of the Mizrahi Jews who brought many Middle Eastern dishes to Israel, presents the case that the Israeli food culture owes much of its foundation to the Arab world, including Palestine. Today, arguing over what food is Palestinian or Israeli can seem irrelevant given the context and scale of the conflict, but perhaps to start with the acceptance that both nationalities can find a shared culture in how their people eat, could be the first step in a long drawn out process towards peace. To echo this sentiment, Chef Moshe says, “If the conflict between our people was limited only to food, and which dish belongs to you or me, I’d be happy to represent my country on the frontline. I wish it was the case that our differences were only about food, and nothing else.”