How Zionism Hijacked Palestinian Culinary Heritage

In 1936, in the midst of the British Mandate over Palestine, a German-Jewish immigrant named Erna Meyer published a cookbook titled How to Cook in Palestine. On its surface, the book seemed innocuous — a practical guide for newly arrived Jewish settlers in Palestine, offering them tips on how to cook with the local ingredients of their new home. However, beneath its surface, it was part of a larger colonial strategy that sought to not only displace Palestinian people but to erase their culture, their identity, and their very existence.

This book, though long forgotten by many, is a symbol of how Zionism employed cultural appropriation and erasure as a tool to further its settler-colonial agenda. In Meyer’s cookbook, there is no mention of the indigenous Palestinians who had been cultivating these lands for centuries, no acknowledgment of the people who had created the very dishes she was teaching settlers to cook. Instead, it was a perfect example of how the colonial project relied on not only military occupation and political control but also on cultural domination. Meyer’s work was more than a cookbook; it was an ideological tool designed to reinforce Zionist claims over Palestine by erasing the indigenous presence and appropriating their culture.

The Cookbook as Cultural Colonization

Meyer’s How to Cook in Palestine encouraged Jewish settlers to utilize the local Palestinian ingredients — tomatoes, eggplants, olives, lentils, and more. These foods were staples of Palestinian cuisine, cultivated by generations of Palestinian farmers. Yet, the book never acknowledged their Palestinian origins. There is no mention of the centuries-old traditions of Palestinian cooking, and certainly no mention of the Palestinian people who had grown and cooked these foods. The cookbook, which was published by the Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO), failed to recognize the indigenous Palestinian population, despite the fact that these same ingredients had been in their kitchens for centuries.

The absence of Palestinians in this cookbook was not an oversight; it was part of a larger ideological project to rewrite history. Zionism’s goal was never just to build a Jewish state; it was to erase the Palestinian people and their identity from the very land they had lived on for centuries. And food, being a central part of cultural identity, became a critical battleground in this struggle for control.

Zionism and Cultural Appropriation

The theft of Palestinian culture did not stop with a cookbook. It has been an ongoing, systematic effort to appropriate Palestinian identity, and nowhere is this more evident than in the realm of food. Zionist propaganda has long sought to reframe Palestinian cuisine as Israeli — a strategy that continues to this day. Dishes such as hummus, falafel, maqlouba, and za’atar are regularly presented as Israeli dishes in international media, while the Palestinian origins of these foods are often ignored or erased.

The erasure of Palestinian culture from global consciousness is a key strategy of Zionism. The Zionist movement has not only sought to steal the land from its indigenous inhabitants but also to erase their identity. Palestinian food, which is inextricably tied to Palestinian culture, becomes a symbol of this erasure. As the world becomes more globalized and international food culture spreads, dishes that were once common in Palestinian kitchens are marketed as Israeli, with little to no mention of their true origins. This isn’t just a case of culinary appropriation; it’s an attempt to rewrite history, to erase Palestinians from their own land and their own culture.

This appropriation is not limited to food, either. Israeli chefs and restaurateurs frequently claim Palestinian dishes as their own, often without acknowledging their Palestinian roots. These dishes, once prepared by generations of Palestinian families, are now presented to the world as part of a new “Israeli” identity — one that bears little resemblance to the reality on the ground in Palestine, where the indigenous people continue to struggle against occupation, displacement, and cultural erasure.

The Political Implications of Culinary Erasure

Food is more than just sustenance; it is a profound symbol of identity, culture, and resistance. The act of taking Palestinian cuisine and rebranding it as Israeli is not just a culinary theft; it is an ideological weapon used to further the Zionist project of erasure and appropriation. When Israeli chefs and restaurateurs market Palestinian dishes as their own, they are not just claiming ownership of food; they are claiming ownership of the very identity of the Palestinian people.

This theft of culture is a direct extension of the Zionist project, which sought to displace the Palestinian people, strip them of their identity, and present the land as an empty space for Jewish settlement. The Palestinian people were not just displaced from their homes; their culture was displaced, their heritage erased, and their history rewritten. Palestinian cuisine, like the land itself, became another battlefield in the ongoing struggle for control.

The whitewashing of Palestinian food also has broader implications. It is a part of a larger effort to legitimize the Israeli state and its occupation of Palestinian land. By presenting Palestinian culture as Israeli, Zionism seeks to justify its occupation and deny Palestinians their rightful place in their own land. The appropriation of Palestinian food is a way of reinforcing the narrative that Palestine was always part of Israel, that Palestinians have no history, no culture, no claim to the land.

Resistance Through Food

Despite the systematic efforts to erase Palestinian identity, Palestinians have continued to resist — and food has been a key part of that resistance. The preservation of Palestinian cuisine is an act of defiance against the forces of occupation and cultural erasure. Even in the most difficult circumstances — under siege in Gaza, under occupation in the West Bank — Palestinians continue to cook, to prepare the foods that are so deeply tied to their identity and heritage.

Palestinian food is a symbol of endurance, of steadfastness, and of the unbreakable connection between the people and their land. It is a symbol of the resilience of a people who refuse to be erased, who continue to nourish their bodies and their culture despite the hardships they face. Palestinian food is a form of resistance, and every time a Palestinian prepares a dish, they are not just cooking — they are asserting their right to exist, to claim their identity, and to preserve their culture.

A Call for Liberation and Reclamation

The erasure of Palestinian cuisine is part of a broader pattern of cultural theft and suppression. To reclaim Palestinian food is to reclaim Palestinian identity, to reject the colonial narrative that seeks to erase a people from their own land. As consumers, as activists, and as allies, we must reject the false narratives that try to rebrand Palestinian culture as Israeli. We must acknowledge the origins of the foods we eat and understand the cultural implications of appropriation.

But reclaiming Palestinian food is not just about recognition; it is about resistance. It is about standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom. It is about recognizing that Palestinian food is not just food — it is a weapon in the struggle for cultural survival, for justice, and for liberation.

What You Can Do: A Call to Action

Educate Yourself and Others: Learn about the history of Palestinian food, its cultural significance, and its role in the ongoing struggle for Palestinian rights. Share this knowledge with others to raise awareness about the erasure of Palestinian culture.
Support Palestinian Producers: Buy Palestinian products such as olive oil, dates, and za’atar. Support Palestinian farmers and artisans who are continuing the work of their ancestors, and help protect their livelihoods from the effects of occupation and land theft.
Challenge Culinary Appropriation: When you encounter Israeli dishes being passed off as Palestinian, speak out. Challenge the misrepresentation of Palestinian culture and demand that the origins of these dishes be acknowledged.
Stand for Palestinian Liberation: The struggle for Palestinian food is part of the larger struggle for Palestinian liberation. Stand with Palestinians in their fight for their land, their culture, and their freedom. Support organizations and movements that are working toward a free Palestine.

The appropriation of Palestinian cuisine by Zionism is not just an issue of culinary theft; it is an issue of cultural and political erasure. By stealing Palestinian food, Zionism seeks to erase the very identity of the Palestinian people, to rewrite history, and to justify occupation. But Palestinians continue to resist — through their food, through their culture, and through their struggle for freedom. The liberation of Palestine is inseparable from the liberation of its culture, and that includes its food. Until Palestine is free, the battle for Palestinian cuisine will continue — and so will the fight for justice, for identity, and for liberation.

Palestinian food is not Israeli food. Palestine is not Israel. And it is time for the world to recognize this truth.
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Take a look at the Book How to Cook in Palestine

10 Books to Read About Palestine