The politics and solidarity of food


This week is Palestinian Economic Week, a call from Palestinians on the ground in historic Palestine to defy Israeli capitalist settler colonialism and support Palestinian businesses and products. 

The brutal military occupation of Palestine that started in 1948 extends to an occupation of Palestinian economies and livelihoods. Israel has prevented Palestinian agricultural activity by expropriating our land and waters; they have choked up industrial cities such as Jerusalem, Yaffa and Hebron; they have used checkpoints and colonial borders and controlled harbours to block trade. The purpose of any colonial capitalist regime is to deprive its Indigenous people of self-determination and in Israel this extends to economic independence. Israel robs us of our rich natural resources, drowns us in poverty and unemployment, exploits us as cheap labour, and totally destroys our local means of production. 

Palestinian Economic Week is a campaign to direct economic resources into Palestinian communities and economic centres to undermine Israel’s capitalist chokehold over Palestinians. It is organised by Palestinians on the ground, led by the Adalah Justice Project. The group calls on a range of solidarity strategies focused on buying from Palestinian producers, donating to trusted Palestinian organisations, organising for social and political justice for Palestinians, and promoting and strengthening BDS across the world.

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions is a Palestinian-led movement that aims to pressure the State of Israel to meet its human rights obligations under international law. BDS targets specific companies that are directly or indirectly complicit in Israeli abuses against Palestinians. One of its current campaigns targets Elbit systems, an Israeli defense company that ‘field tests’ its weapons on Palestinians and provides the Israeli military with 85 per cent of its killer drones. Another current campaign targets Puma, the main sponsor of the Israeli Football Association, which includes teams in illegal Israeli settlements. 

Like many Palestinians, we have been practicing boycotts our whole lives. We grew up not eating McDonalds, or drinking Coca Cola, or shopping at Marks & Spencer’s, because these brands (among others) were complicit in Israeli war crimes. Boycotts are an important part of the global movement for a free Palestine, and a way for the Palestinian diaspora and their allies in the global community to articulate their objection to the violence of the Israeli state.

Galvanised by the hashtag #SaveSheikhJarrah, there has been greater public awareness of Israel’s settler colonial violence over the last month. However, this awareness runs the risk of being co-opted by the disingenuous solidarity of activist branding and performance politics and undermined by unfounded accusations of antisemitism. The postering of popular Brunswick restaurant Very Good Falafel in recent weeks provides us with a case study on what this looks like. Given the importance of maintaining focus on the unfolding acts of Israeli brutality in Gaza and the West Bank during this critical moment in history, the emphasis on the restaurant’s solidarity for Palestine following this incident raises legitimate questions about what it actually means to stand in solidarity with Palestine and Palestinians. 

In recent weeks the storefront of Very Good Falafel (VGF) was postered with material criticising the colonial state of Israel and calling for solidarity with the BDS movement. In the aftermath the restaurant’s owners publicly stated that they were not Zionists, and reached out to members of parliament, local councillors, and other influential figures to make public statements in their defence. They were met with an outpouring of social media support, validation, and calls for consumers to patronise the restaurant amidst accusations of antisemitism.

For decades, Palestinians and pro-Palestine allies, including anti-Zionist Jews, have warned us of the dangers of conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism. Zionism is a political ideology rooted in white supremacy, settler colonialism, and ethnic cleansing. There is nothing about these things that is embedded in or inherent to Jewishness. The State of Israel weaponises antisemitism to undermine genuine acts of solidarity and prevent people from critiquing their settler colonial project and apartheid regime. The State of Israel makes the occupation and settler-colonisation of Palestine an issue of religion to shut down productive conversations about anti-racism, decolonisation, and human rights.

As Palestinian activists it is disappointing to see meaningful conversations centring Palestinian sovereignty and liberation sidetracked by performative activism more concerned with protecting brands and businesses than giving voice to Palestinians and drawing attention to injustice.

VGF have historically made a range of posts and statements in solidarity for causes such as the #FreeAssange campaign and Invasion Day protests, indicating that they know the importance and value of businesses speaking up on injustice. However, this was the first time they had publicly indicated their stance on Palestine. Whenever members of the local community have attempted to discuss Palestinian solidarity with VGF’s owners and staff their messages have been ignored, and some of their accounts blocked. 

This kind of activism raises legitimate questions: is it worth giving more oxygen to an act of local protest or the owner’s responses when Palestinian voices and the Palestinian cause are so much more urgent? Perhaps not, but this situation does demonstrate the limits between superficial consumption politics and real solidarity.

Boycotting as a specific tactic organises people to take collective action against campaign targets complicit in injustice and oppression. Boycott campaigns aim to place economic pressure on these businesses until they respond to the public’s demands. Ethical consumption choices are different. They are individual choices that we make to not consume products that explicitly or implicitly contribute to settler colonisation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing and the broader project of erasing Palestine culture and history. Ethical consumption patterns do not have a mass impact on businesses in the same way that boycott does, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a place in the fight for justice and liberation – there’s a reason both are strategies of Palestine Economic Week. The power in ethical consumption is its ability to raise awareness and change the narrative on social issues. Having a conversation with someone about why you don’t want to go for dinner with them at businesses such as VGF or Miznon forces people to critically reflect on what injustices they are implicitly supporting through these seemingly harmless, everyday acts. 

From our understanding, Very Good Falafel were targeted because of their refusal to present a clear stance on Palestinian oppression despite calls to do so from a community that observed their support for other social justice movements. Obviously, VGF is not a BDS target, and postering it wasn’t a BDS strategy. But that doesn’t make it an illegitimate act of solidarity and civil disobedience in the context of Palestine.

Food is also subject to Israel’s settler colonial project; hummus, falafel, maqloobe, and baklawa have all been appropriated. Most recently, we have seen knafeh (a famous Palestinian dessert hailing from Nablus) being sold at Prahran market as an ‘Israeli’ food. Shakshuka is North African and Mansaf is Jordanian – but both are constantly promoted as ‘Israeli’. Similarly, Falafel is enjoyed across the Arab region – from Palestine to Egypt to Iraq (where one of the VGF owners is from). While many cuisines have been brought to Israel through Arab-Jewish communities, like Sephardi or North African Mizrahi dishes, it is inaccurate to describe these dishes as inherently ‘Israeli’. ‘Israeli cuisine’ is a collage of imported products marketed for a nationalist colonial agenda, and its fashionable status in Melbourne’s ostensibly progressive inner-North is a form of complicity with that agenda. 

Palestinian Economic Week is an opportunity for allies to shift from performance politics to genuine economic and political support for Palestinians. People are finally talking and questioning where their food is coming from. VGF’s sudden pro-Palestine stance goes to show that it is becoming unprofitable and unpopular for businesses to not be outwardly pro-Palestine – this is the power of ethical consumption. We need to continue making it a reputational risk for businesses to align themselves with Israel. If you ask a business whether they stand with Palestine and they block you, stop going there. We need to pressure businesses to be openly and actively pro-Palestine, and we need your help doing it. Ask your local grocers and restaurants where they source their couscous, freekeh, pickles, dates, vine leaves. If the answer is Israel, tell them to use a more ethical source. Stop going there until they do. Find a Palestinian alternative instead: you can eat traditional Palestinian Knafeh at Knafeh Nabulseyeh, try vegan Palestinian food at Khamsa Cafe in Newtown, and order Palestinian food produce at Palestine Fair Trade and Sprinkle & Dash.

 

Jeanine and Lujayn are Palestinian siblings involved in the BDS movement.

Hasib Hourani

Hasib Hourani is a Palestinian writer, editor, and arts worker who lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne.

More by Hasib Hourani ›

Jeanine Hourani

Jeanine Hourani is a Palestinian organiser, writer, and researcher who is currently employed as a research and teaching assistant at the University of Melbourne

More by Jeanine Hourani ›

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  1. I grew up in Palestine. I live now in Melbourne. I want to say that the fight can cause casualties that don’t deserve it. The owners of Very Good Falafel : you have got them wrong. You are trying to take down their lives as though they are a big business in the name of my peoples liberation and it does not make sense.

    1. VGF are profiting off Palestinian food without acknowledging that this plays into colonial cultural theft and erasure. In order to be true allies, they need to understand not only the importance of naming things, but standing in solidarity even when it is uncomfortable for them. Solidarity isn’t on their terms. And our culture isn’t up for consumption.

      1. But they do stand in solidarity and have for many years, I met them at a farmers market and spoke at length. The problem that has occurred is an assumption and to destroy a small business (peoples livelihood it is not a corporation) because of assumption, it’s not right. I think it’s over not uploading things to instagram in a way that some people have expected. And it is not Palestinian food, it is Mizrahi jewish food. I send love to you, and hope this is cleared up soon.

        1. Did you read the artcile… “While many cuisines have been brought to Israel through Arab-Jewish communities, like Sephardi or North African Mizrahi dishes, it is inaccurate to describe these dishes as inherently ‘Israeli’. ‘Israeli cuisine’ is a collage of imported products marketed for a nationalist colonial agenda, and its fashionable status in Melbourne’s ostensibly progressive inner-North is a form of complicity with that agenda.” It is Palestinian food and as a Palestinian you would want that fact acknowledged, you would not want our food, culture and dress stolen and profited from! If they are true allies they can rename all their dishes appropriately… I’d even pay the printing costs!

          1. Hi NasMan and Azhaar,

            A quick one – that they never actually ever labelled their food Israeli. It’s never been on the menu or on their website. This was an assumption that went around.

            I agree too that there is so much emphasis placed on social media – there are different generations around us and it discounts practical activism that people have done and do. It’s been a lot of assumptions and rumours and ultimately a lot of hurt and anger has been misdirected and landed on this shop.

  2. Who is the rightful owner of Hummus, Falafel or Baklava? These ancient dishes have no such precise origins. The attack VGF seems weird. Should we start demanding Chinese food vendors declare their political opinions and thoughts on the CCP?

  3. TL;DR:

    So… generally agree with the stuff about appropriation of food and issues with labeling things ‘Israeli’. On board.

    But….. the arguments specific to VGF, or even just the references to VGF are super confusing and distracting and maybe …. Misguided.
    —-

    Long rant on strategy:

    From insta infographics / vgf insta stories / anecdotes, & this article /, the following seems true:
    1. Local objectives & actions relevant to this article: Prevent local forms of ‘soft zionism’. Relevant actions: boycott goods/services marketed as ‘israeli’. Engage in established BDS strategies. Support/promote local palestinian goods/services.

    2. VGF serve mizrachi/iraqi food (from owner’s mums recipe… owner’s mum is from bagdhad)… yeah may overlap with palestinian food but it’s not exclusively palestinian cuisine surely? (From VGF insta / this article)

    3. VGF have never claimed food is/was israeli and don’t market it as such (anecdotal / from online comments)

    4. VGF owner has history of IRL – ‘on the ground’ activism going far back- ’ apparently activism in occupied territories (anecdotal).

    5. Nobody called the owner(S?) or spoke to them IRL for this story? – only insta DMs?… side note: Not sure demanding a response via insta is a sound tactic all the time – some people don’t use insta DMs as a place for stating their ideology / political stance to randoms – and understandably so – it often becomes a dumpster fire of ‘receipts’ and is notoriously used as a ‘Gotcha!’ tactic, and often nothing is achieved…

    …In terms of ‘positive’ activism; seems this is a really good chance for solidarity with the jewish community or at least a jews in the broader community (I assume the owner is jewish(?)) – the owners seems to be (anecdotally) on side with the cause – why alienate them? Doesn’t seem like their stance is profit motivated if there is a history of activism?

    …I’m cynical about the actual impact of poster bombing falafel shops in melb – but if we must – pretty sure there are heaps other food shops more worthy of this attention, shops that use the term ‘israeli’ to describe and market their food and…many of these shops aren’t even owned by people from the region (if identity of owners is important?).

    I hope this is all taken in good faith. Much love. Jani

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