Can One Restaurant's Hummus Help End the Arab-Israeli Conflict? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Can One Restaurant's Hummus Help End the Arab-Israeli Conflict?

Hummus Bar in Tel Aviv offers a 50 percent discount on any meal shared by a Jew and an Arab.

21
Can One Restaurant's Hummus Help End the Arab-Israeli Conflict?
Inspired Taste

Hummus- it's creamy, made of lemon and chickpeas, delicious and....helping to end international conflict? Kobi Tzafrir, an Israeli restaurant owner, believes that the garlicky goodness of hummus may have more power than your average pita topping, and is using the traditional treat to bring people together.

Tzafrir knows the power of hummus, an ubiquitous dish served across the middle east. Growing up in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, Tzafrir was mostly exposed to store bought, prepackaged hummus. However, when he was 20 years old, he had his first dish of real, home-made hummus at an Arab restaurant- and his perspective was completely changed.

Tzafrir's restaurant, the Hummus Bar in Tel Aviv, offers a 50 percent discount on any meal shared by a Jew and an Arab. He advertised his idea on a Facebook post, which read:

"Are you afraid of Arabs? Are you afraid of Jews? By us there are no Arabs, but also no Jews. We have human beings! And real excellent Arab hummus! And great Jewish falafel!"

His post was shared almost 2,000 times, and word of his idea was picked up by news outlets of every language and culture.


Why run this promotion? In an interview with NPR, Tzafrir stated that he hoped the promotion would help to ease the ever-present tension in the current state of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For hundreds of years, Arab Muslims and Israeli Jews have been locked in a tense political and religious conflict. This discontent is so deeply ingrained in culture and attitudes that countless lives have been lost by both sides. Tzafrir hopes that his special promotion will encourage people of both races to look at each other not through the lens of their respective ethnicity, but as a living human who loves the same food as they do.

"We hear a lot of extremists on the news, on Facebook, on TV, and it seems like everything here is very bad." Tzafrir stated. "But I wanted to show that everything here is not so bad. Things get out of proportion."

"If you eat a good hummus, you will feel love from the person who made it," he said. "You don't want to stab him."

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

1264
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

16158
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

3376
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments