Since Hamas came to power three years ago in the Gaza Strip, the government of Israel has maintained a strict blockade of goods from reaching Palestinians. The list of contraband includes such apparently dangerous items as cilantro, sage, jam, chocolate, French fries and dried fruit.

 

But Israel isn’t the only Middle East state using food to gain political victories. In Lebanon, 300 cooks got together to break the world’s record for the largest serving of hummus—more than 23,000 pounds of it. The previous record holder was Israel. The Lebanese accuse the Israelis of claiming hummus as their own and marketing it around the world.

 

Lebanon already holds the record for tabbouleh and plans next to go for the falafel mark.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Why Won't Israel Allow Gazans to Import Coriander? (by Amira Hass, Haaretz)

Details of Gaza Blockade Revealed in Court Case (by Tim Franks, BBC News)

Lebanon Hits Back In Humongous Hummus War (by Kirsty Donald, Sky News)