A fork in the road...

 

This infographic, currently doing the rounds, is rather succinctly emblematic of the sheer exuberance of the ignorance, bigotry and overall ethical confusion that has taken hold of the 'Free Palestine' cult...to its obvious detriment.

RFK, most documented genocide, I know, I know, but of all ‘the issues which matter’ here, the one that sticks out is smack in the middle: HAS INDIGENOUS CUISINE.

I’m a big fan of Iranian food and it does indeed belong to one of the most distinctive culinary traditions in the region. But Persia, just like the part of the Levant we nowadays refer to as Israel, was conquered and colonised by Arabs, and so the food in modern Iran bears witness to an exchange. Dolma (stuffed veg) for example, originated as the Arabian dish Mahshi yet, on the other hand, the Arabs themselves had not previously been consuming much rice or saffron before they invaded this ancient land.

Over on the western side of this expansion, given the complex history of the peoples and the rise and fall of several imperial systems before the arrival of Islam, eating habits were always a blend of influences.

Today’s Israel is inhabited by a veritable mix of peoples. 25% of citizens are non-Jewish: Palestinian Arabs, Druze, Bedouin and Christians in the main. The majority of the other 75% are non-Azkenazy, in other words they belong to the Middle Eastern or Mediterranean heritage groups. If the food they are eating is not ‘indigenous’, where did it come from? (Are they all just eating pizza like the citizens of Antigua?)

Is a taco ‘indigenous cuisine’?

It is an interesting question because the most famous variant — al pastor — was effectively introduced to Mexico by Levantine Orthodox Christians fleeing Islamic persecution in what we know today as Lebanon.

Across Mesoamerica, as today in Israel and the wider Levant, key ingredients and techniques remain from ancient times, yet Castilian colonisers, themselves carrying a fairly recent history of Islamic subjugation, brought a range of items with them which are absolutely essential to Mexican cuisine today: beef, chicken, cheese, rice, wheat, garlic, onions, plus various fruits like citrus.

30% of Israelis are of Azkenazi heritage, which means they bring some Eastern European delights to the party, like bagels. These are clearly no more ‘indigenous’ to Israel than any kind of wheat-based bread is here in Guatemala, but so what, and how thick do you have to be to make some sort of basically racist political point out of it?

It’s possibly also worth mentioning Beta Israel, the roughly 160,000 Israeli Jews of Ethiopian origin. I’m going to take a punt here and assume that the food they eat at home is in some significant ways different to that of other Israelis, reflecting their distinct geographical history. It’s probably ‘indigenous’ to their unique ethnic sub-culture, if not to Israel itself.

Should the Pro Pals hold this against them I wonder?

(Google to the rescue — Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jewish) cuisine is characterized by its use of spices, stews (wot), and injera, a sourdough flatbread. While sharing many similarities with Ethiopian cuisine overall, certain dishes and practices are distinct. For example, Beta Israel do not eat raw meat dishes like kitfo and gored gored. They also observe kashrut (Jewish dietary laws), which influences their food preparation and consumption.)