NYTimes Article on The Middle Eastern Falafel Flap

I always thought that falafel was from the Lebannon - shows you how much I know. Or maybe I've been lulled into thinking so by the Lebanese and Syrian restaurants which, for a long time, were the only places that I ever saw that sold falafel. I would certainly never have thought of it as Jewish food. Mind you haggis is actually a Roman dish orginally, so you never know.

Exactly. I agree with Joan Nathan, who basically said that the food is so ancient, no one has a claim on it.

Ask any American kid what their favorite food is, and they'll probably tell you "pizza". I don't hear the Italians complaining! And, no Jews are complaining about bagels being ubiquitous in America.

What a silly thing to argue about!

Actually Mezzaluna, it makes perfect sense to argue about this IMHO. The Israelis have the land, the money, the education and the democracy. The Palestinians have Falafel.
Italians live too far away from the States to be really bothered by American pizza, which is generally quite different from their pizza anyway.

Oh for the love of Pete!.....

As if there isn't enough trouble in the Middle East, we now get dragged into a flap about Falafel?!!!!

Who really cares who first made falafel? It was probably so long ago that there were no such distinctions as Jews, Arabs, Maronites, Bedouins or any other group that we know of now.

Get over it, people. There's enough legitimate fuel for the present conflagration as it is.

So do I!