Dubai: When US President Barack Obama travels on Wednesday to Israel and the West Bank, he will find himself at the heart of the 65-year-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
But this time, he’ll be taking the heat from chefs — and political leaders.
The menu, which has been prepared for his breakfast on his first morning after landing in Israel, has already created controversy between the two sides.
According to the Israeli media, Obama will dine on falafel.
That menu choice has infuriated Palestinians, who say falafel is their "traditional dish".
The Israelis, however, say falafel is their own "national snack" — and that Arabs took it from them when they were living in other Arab countries before and after the creation of Israel.
“The Israelis have stolen the land and even the culture, and now the cuisine,” said Mahdi Abdul Hadi, chairman of the occupied Jerusalem-based Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (Passia).
“Israel is promoting the food as if it is its own,” he told Gulf News. “And if you go to Jaffa Street and other streets in the western part of Jerusalem, you will find many falafel shops" inside Israel.
Palestinians have dined on falafel since the Ottoman era of the 16th Century, he said.
Palestinian menu for the lunch in honour of Obama has not yet been decided. However, some Arabic press reports noted that the suggestions include famous Palestinian dishes, such as Musakhen (bread soaked with olive oil and cooked with onions and grilled chicken), and Mujadarah (rice cooked with lentils) along with spinach and thyme pastries. Kunafa, which originally came out from the west bank city of Nablus, is recommended for desert.
