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Momina Amjad

Candidate Number: 002223-0028

Session: May 2014

English A1: Language and Literature

Written Task 1

Unit Language and Culture Text type(s) A print ad and a blog post

Purpose To demonstrate the contrasting viewpoints in the Palestinian-Israeli narrative, discuss cultural identity in depth, resistance, and other themes

Audience The general American public in the 18-34 demographic.

Context A hummus ad claiming it to be Israeli food causes controversy, a Palestinian activist and blogger criticizes that ad campaign

Word count Rationale Written Task

298 990

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Rationale:

In this Language and Culture unit, we learned extensively about the importance of

cultural context in understanding language, and consequently, how a readers

interpretation of a text determines the meaning that text has. We mainly studied that

via analyzing advertisements; advertisement campaigns use advertising techniques and

persuasive language whilst being culturally sensitive to appeal to their audiences. I hope

to demonstrate these skills in the first text Ive created; an American print advert for

hummus which claims that it is Israeli food. It is implied that this ad created controversy

among the Palestinian and Arab community in America.

The second text is a popular blog post by a Palestinian activist criticizing the hummus

advert. I discuss the larger themes of cultural identity and national heritage when this

fictional blogger dismisses said advert completely on the basis of it being cultural

appropriation and theft of the Palestinian identity. The design of the blog as a whole

displays themes of resistance, anti-colonialism and struggle against apartheid, all of

which constitute an important part of the Palestinian narrative. The format allows me to

be expressive of the various facets of Palestinian resistance such as art, music and

literature, as well as different cultural and sociopolitical viewpoints via a subsequent

comments section; illustrating how peoples social or cultural background has an

influence on what they have to say.

By juxtaposing these two texts together, I aim to highlight the inevitability of bias and

subjectivity in the media and literature of people in conflicts such as the Palestinian-

Israeli one. This was my focus because it elaborates the impact of culture on language as

well as the impact of language in the assembling of a political movement. I have

attached a mini-glossary at the end for some of the italicized words in the text.

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Whether you eat it as a dip, a sauce or an appetizer, Savras Hummus

provides you with the fresh and fine Israeli delicacy all the way in America.

A unique blend of the east and the west awaits you at your nearest

grocery store!

Savra Truly savory

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From you steel and fire, from us our flesh. From you yet another tank, from us stones. So leave our country, our land, our sea, our wheat, our salt, our wounds

Mahmoud Darwish

Falasteeni

Why Savras latest ad campaign offended so many

Palestinians

1 March 2013

A recent hummus ad by Savra shows the Israeli delicacy in the midst of

American crackers and talks about unique blends of the east and the

west. Most of you reading this post are already thinking something along

the lines of, Okay, whats so wrong with that that? Agreed that hummus

is probably not an Israeli delicacy per se, but cant we just appreciate

people crossing borders and learning to love the enemys food? Why are

all the Arab students across college campuses in the States going crazy

about this non-issue?

The problem is not so much about them appreciating and accepting our

food. The problem is that when you steal a peoples land, when you steal

their sense of belonging, or try to wipe out their history, they hold an

unmeasurable importance to their sense of cultural identity. Culture is an

umbrella term for a lot of things, the shared attitudes of people, their

behaviors well as their material traits, such as dress code and the cuisine.

Ah! Cuisine. It is no secret that hummus, along with tabouleh, falafel and

olive oil, forms a quintessential part of the Arabic cuisine. No mezze is

complete without these small dishes in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria or

Palestine. Yes, hummus is not unique to Palestine, but it has long been a

staple food for Palestinians, often served warm with bread, for breakfast,

lunch and dinner. So why all this anger for something that isnt even

Layla Jabbari

Palestinian American culture and

politics enthusiast with a special

interest in postcolonial and

gender studies. Viva la Revolucin!

Follow me on Twitter

@Layla_Jabbari

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distinctively Palestinian? The thing is, hummus is only a symbol. It

represents a lot more about the stolen Palestinian identity and its peoples

frustrations.

It is the lost olive culture and the Palestinian farmers who were no longer

able to collect their olive harvest after the Nakba. We know from an

Electronic Intifada article that some of the remaining olive farmers are

regularly attacked by the Zionist settler population when they attempt to

care for their trees or harvest them in BTselem and Al Khalil (Hebron).

Falafels are now an Israeli National Dish. This kind of cultural

appropriation is by no means limited to food and agriculture. It is evident

in the linguistic imperialism of Hebrew over Arabic in all the academic

institutions and workplaces in Israel. It is the suppression of Arab literary

figures in Israel because they offer voices of dissent. It is calling the Keffiyeh

a terrorist garb. And it affects Palestinians so much more than it seems.

Apart from the aforementioned cultural concerns, the main reason why

Savra caused such widespread controversy among the Palestinian and

Arab-American community is because it was found out that its parent

company, The Stoche Group, is one of the funders of the IDF. The so called

Israeli Defense Force, IDF is a terrorist organization responsible for killing

and torturing Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza on a daily basis. All of

this is well documented on Aljazeera, Ali Abunimahs blog and other news

sites. Also as a consequence of having hummus mass produced by

companies like Savra, the already minimal economic opportunities for

people in the occupied Palestine plunge even lower as their food products

dont even begin to surface in the international markets.

So to sum it all up, by buying and eating Savras hummus (and other

products), you are not only capitalizing upon a peoples stolen identity and

minimizing the their economic opportunities, you are also funding their

apartheid and torture. That to me sounds like a very valid reason for those

people to be furious. So please, reject the gooey mush Savra calls hummus.

Its nothing like the real stuff. Boycott Savra and all their products. And

spread the word around. The BDS campaign needs you.

Tunes of resistance from

Palestine and beyond

Shadia Mansour is the female

rapper American music lacks.

The lucidity of her anger and

the passion in her lyrics revives

my Palestinian spirit.

See more under Arts and

Culture

Tags: SAVRA STOCHEGROUP HUMMUS APARTHEID PALESTINE ISRAEL

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Moshe

Im sorry, but this is a load of BS. There is no Palestinian identity! Youre all a bunch of Arabs with

similar customs and cuisine. I have to admit that hummus is tasty, and its kosher, so we all love it.

Savra made a mistake, theres no need to get melodramatic about it lady.

6 Likes | Reply

Maria

So this is an innocent mistake? How do you explain Stoche Group funding your terrorism?

Zionists and their logic is unbelievable. Do you think were stupid?

4 Likes | Reply

Moche

Stoche Group is not even Savra, its ONE of their parent companies, and

who they donate their charity to doesnt matter. Stop getting so

emotional at every damn thing. 1 Like | Reply

Maria

This comment violated Falateenis community

standards

David

Thank for this post, Layla. Its unfortunate that our consumerism funds your suffering, and Im sure

its not just Savra. The other day I read about Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz being a staunch

Zionist and supporting Israels apartheid. Not enough people currently know about the BDS

movement.

10 Likes | Reply

Word Count: 990

Glossary:

BDS campaign: Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a global campaign which uses economic and

political pressure on Israel to comply with the stated goals of the movement: The end of Israeli occupation and

colonization of Arab land, full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and respect for the right of return

of Palestinian refugees1.

Kefiyyeh: Various types of Middle Eastern headdresses for men- the one referred to in the blog is the

Palestinian variant which is typically black and white and has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance.

Mezze: A selection of small dishes served at the beginning of all large scale meals in Levantine cuisines2.

Comparable to appetizers.

Nakba: The 1948 Palestinian exodus, known in Arabic as the Nakba (literally "disaster", "catastrophe", or

"cataclysm") occurred when approximately 711,000 to 726,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from

their homes3.

Tabouleh: A Levantine Arab salad traditionally made of bulgur, tomatoes, cucumbers, finely chopped parsley,

mint, onion, and garlic and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt4.

Images Used:

[1] Group Recipes. Goat Cheese Hummus. Digital image 2013. Web. 2 Mar 2013

http://www.grouprecipes.com/85433/goat-cheese-hummus.html#

[2] Paq, Anne. Graffiti, Separation Wall; Bethlehem, 16.01.2011. Digital image 2012. Web. 2 Mar 2013

http://chroniquespalestine.blogspot.com/2012/01/graffiti-separation-wall-bethlehem.html

[3] Ridz Design. Shadia Mansour. Digital image 2010. Web. 2 Mar 2013

http://www.last.fm/music/Shadia+Mansour/+images/44021385

Articles Cited:

[1] Olive harvest once again marred by settler violence. 7 December. 2005. Web. 2 Mar 2013.

http://electronicintifada.net/content/olive-harvest-once-again-marred-settler-violence/2274

1 Svirsky, Marcelo. Arab-Jewish activism in Israel-Palestine. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate, 2012. Print. 2 Davidson, Alan. The Oxford companion to food. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print. 3 Mcdowall, David. The Palestinians. London: Minority Rights Group, 1987. Print. 4 Zubaida, Sami. Culinary cultures of the Middle East. London [u.a.]: Tauris, 1994. Print