Residents in the Middle East have come to know the white-and-black-checkered keffiyeh, most often worn by Arabs, as a symbol of Palestinian liberation.
But a group of New Yorkers have adopted the scarf and pattern as a "Jewish" fashion line called "Semitic Swag." The line was launched in 2013 and, two years later, business continues to remain strong. JewishNewsOne called the scarf an "Israeli version of the keffiyeh."
In a news interview, a co-founder says the line was supposed to demonstrate similarities between the cultures rather than politicize the issue, though that didn't stop the businessowners from celebrating the launch with a Jewish-themed party and claiming it a Jewish line of Jewish prints.
The business becomes problematic when Palestinians can't profit off of their own work. Unemployment in the Gaza Strip remains at a stark 43 percent, and businesses have been failing while Israel bans Gaza exports.
Keffiyehs date back to the Arab revolt in the 1930s and are commonly made by Palestinians, though they weren't nearly as trendy until Western and Israeli businesses began selling the design.
Some may say that's the definition of cultural appropriation.
Here's an interview with the businessowner after the launch:
By Hayat Norimine
