Lebanon: Launching a falafel war against Israel

It sounds like satire, a tall tale meant to illustrate the downright pettiness of the Middle East's ongoing rivalries and resentments.

But apparently, it's totally serious.

According to a report by the Deutsche Presse Agentur, Germany's news agency, a Lebanese trade union is planning to sue Israel for claiming that the Jewish state has propriety over traditional Arab cuisine such as falafel, tabbouleh and hummus, which Lebanese consider their own.

The president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Fady Abboud, has apparently said he's preparing a lawsuit in international courts against Israel for "taking the identity of some Lebanese" meals, according to the report, which was picked up by the Israeli media, including Haaretz:

"In a way the Jewish state is trying to claim ownership of traditional Lebanese delicacies such as falafel, tabbouleh and hummus [costing Lebanese] tens of millions of dollars annually. ... The Israelis are marketing our main food dishes as if they were Israeli dishes."

He said his union is trying to register Lebanese foods and ingredients with the government in Beirut "so it can appeal to the international courts against Israel," Abboud said.

According to DPA, he cited the Greek "feta cheese precedent" of six years ago, when Athens managed to prove it had invented Feta cheese.

By registering Lebanese foods and ingredients, "we are preventing Israel from stealing our main food trademarks and selling them around the world," Abboud told DPA.

But Lebanon might have a tough time arguing its case. Syrians and Egyptians also lay claim to such yummy Lebanese appetizers as hummus and tabbouleh.

 

B-zarre.

 

Hell ya.
But then again...

 

hahaha! so who am i offending when i make my own hummus, huh?

 

"feta cheese precedent"

 

All I can say about that story is, WTF???

 

Fetal cheese president...

 

Sounds like an amazing punk/funk fusion type band.

 

Oh, i was thinkin about our future...?

 

Sure!



Anything different at this point anyways!

 

Just the clock, brosif.

 

* By the way, Nicole Kidman played in my ashtray today. And right now she is laying on my chest.
I love her... Nicole Kidman!

 

Sweet!
Dude, i was laying with my cats earlier... strokin the momma.
I could see how she has aged, it was a tear jerker.

 

I had a cat that just passed.
Well, I just found out about it a week ago.
My cat when I was growing up at my father's...
He apparently just didn't return to the house a few months ago.
I know often cats will leave home before they pass, he was 15.
I hadn't seen him in probably close to a year, it really sucks.

How old is yours? The mom, as in you have her kittens as well?

 

Sucks about your cat, man.
My mom has had three cats disappear in a week(12 weeks old)
She thinks somebody is trapping them, first time anything like that has happened...

The mother, Candy, is 9. And I only have 5 of her kittens.
Total of 8 cats around these parts, depending on the day and the flavor.

 

Awesome, kitty communes are hilarious. Watching them interact is so much fun.
And sadly, it seems certain people have it out for cats... poisoning them, trapping them-- I don't understand it.
They pose no threat. My god.

 

Hell ya, I spent a lot of today watching my cats interact.
Some little dogs at a frined's house, too.

My cats only get feral before breakfast

 

I know you all think this is extremely funny, but in a global economy this could be a huge impact on the Lebanonese economy.

After what Israel was allowed to do to Lebanon in 2006, I am on the side of Lebanon.

With the state of global economics I find less and less to be humorous.

 

We laughed during the Republican Convention about Obama's community organizing, today we are supposed to be afraid of it?

 

I think the solution to this is a contest. A falafel-off. International, and judged by a panel of respected food critics from each country. Hold it every 4 years, and the country that wins gets to call it their own for the next 4 years.

I better get started on my food blog so I can be a judge representing the US.