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9:51 PM
Reut R. Cohen
Lebanese officials are planning to sue Israel because of chumus (a popular dish composed of chick peas that is frequently eaten in Israel). According to Lebanese officials, Israel stole chumus.
I'd like to say I'm amused, but I'm actually disgusted.
More than half of Israelis are Middle Eastern and indigenous to North Africa and the Middle East. Historically, Jews were treated like third-class citizens despite being indigenous people and having a legitimate claim to living in the region. Around the 1930s and 1940s, due to extreme persecution, Jews found that they had no choice but to leave what became Islamic countries (most went to Israel). When they arrived in Israel, they took with them the customs and culture that belonged to their ancestors for thousands of years. This included prayer, language, music, etc.
And these Jews also ate chumus.
The decision by the Lebanese Industrialists Association is an arrogant one and maliciously aimed at Israel. Chumus is a Middle Eastern dish and there is no proof regarding origins. It may have originated in pre-Islamic Egypt, Syria or elsewhere.
However, this situation is absolute nonsense and does not deserve the media attention it has been receiving. It would be akin to having Israel file a suit against any country that sells jelly doughnuts.
I wonder which Islamic nation will grab the international claim on suicide bombing.
Here is what the Jerusalem Post is reporting:
A Lebanese official says his country is preparing to file an international lawsuit against Israel for claiming ownership of traditional dishes it believes were originally Lebanese.
The president of the Lebanese Industrialists Association, Fadi Abboud, accuses Israel of "stealing" its northern neighbor's cuisine by marketing dishes such as humous - found across the Middle East - as its own.
Abboud says that while Lebanon is partly to blame because it has never registered its main food trademarks, Israel's adoption of these dishes causes it major losses.
He told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the lawsuit would be based on the 2002 precedent in which Greece won a ruling that only its cheese could be called Feta.
Jalil Dabit, the chef at Samir's Restaurant in Ramle, who serves humous with whole chickpeas, olive oil and a secret blend of spices, agrees with the Lebanese move.
"It is the right thing to do. The Israeli people are taking a product that does not officially belong to them. It originates among the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese people," he said.
Click here to read the entire article.
5 comments. Leave a comment:
greece needs to sue arab countries for selling baklava. they stole it.
These people are fools. The royal family of Morocco has a Jewish cook. This is official and anyone can look this up. Many Jews are Middle Easterners. Nonetheless, this is beside the point. The Lebanese decided to make this suit and make comments allying themselves with other countries for a reason: they hate Jews and hate Israel. It's a baseless, empty hatred. If they were smart, think of the trade and prosperity there could be in the region.
All Arabs who receive medical attention in Israel (plenty of those) should consider killing themselves. They are stealing Israeli medical inventions.
How dare they seek medical research from Israel and medical assistance from Israel? THOSE THIEVES!
Will they sue Trader Joe's? Trader Joe's sells their own brand of chumus. They also sell pita bread. You are right. This is absolute nonsense.
How about counter-suing for bagels, or collecting a royalty for use of phrases like Oy Vey (TM) or chutzpah (TM) or glitch (TM). Maybe Israel should sue the Islamic world for copyright infringement of the Bible.
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