10/9/2014 Conflict-themed eatery angers US Jews | The Times of Israel

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Baklavabroiges
Conflict-themed eatery angers
US Jews
Pittsburgh restaurant featuring Palestinian-centric menu and events
hits back at pro-Israeli critics
BYYIFAYAAKOV October9,2014,4:52pm
A
Pittsburgh eatery showcasing foods from countries with which the US is in conflict
angered the local Jewish community this week after featuring Palestinian cuisine and
Palestinian-centric discussion events as its theme for October.
The restaurant, Conflict Kitchen, features food from a different country or culture every month. In
the past, it has featured the cuisines of Afghanistan, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela.
This month, starting October 6, it has showcased its first Arab-themed menu, featuring a range of
Palestinian specialties many of which have long since become Israeli staple foods such as
falafel, hummous, shawarma, baklava, and fresh mint lemonade.
Before featuring the Palestinian theme, the restaurants staff went on a trip to the region to
research and sample the local cuisine before holding a taste-testing event with the local Pittsburgh
Palestinian community.
Among the images of scrumptious dishes and cozy West Bank family kitchens posted on the
restaurants blog, images of the security barrier and Israeli checkpoints were featured as well.
But it was not the menu of the restaurant, which operates as a takeout joint, that angered
Pittsburghs Jewish community and cost Conflict Kitchen a University Honors College
sponsorship.
The restaurant has not only served Palestinian food this month, but has also held a
controversial panel discussion event centering on the Palestinian narrative and cause, co-
sponsored by the college.
Featuring both Palestinian and Israeli left-wing speakers, as well as US academics, the event drew
35 participants. The local Jewish community, however, voiced concern that the mainstream Israeli
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perspective was not represented on the panel.
Weve been getting pushback from members of the local Jewish community that arent in
support of us presenting those types of viewpoints, Jon Rubin, co-director of Conflict Kitchen,
was quoted by Pittsburgh News as saying.
He said that while the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh had asked that the Israeli perspective be
represented at Palestinian-centric events as well, that would go against Conflict Kitchens mission.
The goal of our project is to represent the voices of the people that we are working with, [the
Palestinians], so it does not make sense to have someone from Israel on every one of the panels,
Rubin was quoted as saying. We may have an Israeli perspective at some point, and I understand
their desire to have their narrative told, but they have plenty of other formats to do that.
The newspaper quoted JFP community relations council director Gregg Roman as saying the one-
sided focus on Palestine had created a breakdown between two different camps rather than
starting an open, humane, civil conversation about culture both in the US and in conflict areas.
The Jewish community as a whole has certain expectations of institutions that receive public
funding, like Conflict Kitchen, to not carry out programs that may delve into the area of
discrimination on national origin, he reportedly said.
The University Honors College withdrew its sponsorship amid the controversy, but said it would
continue to participate in Conflict Kitchen discussions and sponsor free lunches.
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