A New York falafel chain closed over unpaid taxes. For most restaurants, that would be a routine business story. But because Taïm is Israeli, anti-Israel activists turned it into a celebration.
The reaction was not really about taxes. It was about the claim that Israelis “steal” Middle Eastern food. Falafel, hummus, shakshuka, shawarma, couscous — somehow, when Jews and Israelis eat or cook regional foods, it becomes “appropriation.”
That argument falls apart quickly.
Countries that share a region also share ingredients, recipes, migrations, and food traditions. Jewish communities lived across the Middle East and North Africa for centuries, often eating the same foods as their Muslim and Christian neighbors, with variations shaped by kosher and halal laws. Israeli cuisine reflects that history, alongside foods that developed locally in Israel.
Nobody accuses Jordan of stealing falafel because Lebanon also makes it. Nobody treats Syrian or Jordanian shawarma as theft because the dish has roots in Turkey. But when Jews make the same regional foods, the outrage suddenly becomes political.
That is the point. This is not about food.
It is about finding another excuse to delegitimize Israel, erase Jewish ties to the region, and villainize Jews and Israelis for participating in the cultures they come from.
Israeli cuisine does not claim exclusive ownership over hummus, falafel, or shakshuka. But Israelis have every right to claim foods that are part of their families, communities, and heritage.
That is not appropriation. It is history.
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© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
