Cohen tweets about Israeli falafel, spark outrage

ALBAWABA - Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen angered Arab pioneers of social networking sites after he published a picture of him eating a falafel sandwich and described the falafel as "the most Israeli".

Cohen wrote on Twitter on Wednesday in Hebrew, and ALBAWABA translated it into English, "Falafel, with some tahini. The most Israeli, the most delicious! Happy Independence Day."

He attached the tweet with a picture of him eating a falafel sandwich and adding some tahini to it.

The tweet angered the followers, especially since falafel is one of the popular dishes known in the Levant, where they consider that its origin is Arab, not Israeli.

For his turn, Arab Knesset member Ahmad Tibi responded to Cohen's tweet, where he wrote in Hebrew and ALBAWABA translated into English: "falafel with chickpeas is a Shami Arab. Falafel with beans (Tamiya) is Egyptian. The empty bottle is the ultimate image of the Israeli government 2023."

It is commonly known that chickpeas are the main ingredient in making falafel in the Levant, whereas in Egypt it is known that it consists of beans.

Usually, official Israeli pages show the spread of falafel in the occupied territories and that it is one of the most common popular foods, while Israeli personalities attribute it as a national food.

Cohen's tweet came in conjunction with what Israel describes as the Israeli Independence Day, coinciding with the Palestinian displacement.