Oddbean

Sometimes people ask me what my favorite food is in Egypt. It’s the common thing people generally ask about regarding travel and such. I often say grilled fish and vine leaves. That’s my favorite main course. But the *real* answer is dumber. It’s the ubiquitous pita bread and tahini sauce. I eat way too much of it when I’m here, considering I normally eat low carb. And there are these little walnut-sized specific type of lemons that are served with many meals to squeeze on your food. My father in law instead squeezes them into his water to make unsweetened lemonade with his meals, and I started doing it and find myself drinking it whenever there are lemons around with the meals. So good. So for me the dumb but true answer is the pita bread, tahini sauce, and mini lemons. The cheapest, most basic appetizers/garnishes around. 🤷‍♀️

MANY moons ago, I ate regularly at Muhammad Ahmad in Alexandria. I’d love to get back one day for the fuwl and the shurba. I doubt the kibda fi sanwish cart is still in Rushdie - those chilli and liver baguettes were sublime.

Does anyone ask you about your position on the Genocide in Gaza (which shares a border with Egypt). Because that take might be much more interesting and important than wether you like tahineh better than hommos.

I am not supportive of the government of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Although I condemn what Hamas did in October, I do not view what Israel is currently doing as being the justified response to those actions. And more broadly, I’m not supportive of policies whereby someone has to adhere to a certain religion or ethnicity to buy land in a given region. I’m supportive of individual property rights. And of course, I am supportive of *individuals and civilians* of all faiths, including Jews, Christians, Muslims, and others.

@bitcoinfinity in this part of the world, this is not a discussion per say. It’s a matter of fact that that we all live with, just as we do with gravity. Everyone is aware that Israel has been engaging in violent ethnic cleansing for the past century. Everyone is aware that Zionism is a settler colonial outpost of the old world order, funded and supported by the US and a few other western “democracies”. These are facts that everyone is aware of. The discussions that occur fall into two perspectives: 1) the pessimist: these are generally the older generation who have lost hope because they’ve been victim of this asymmetric kinetic, financial and information war for a century, they are jaded and tired. 2) the optimists: generally younger who see that the Zionist monopoly on information is done. The past 8 months have undone a century of Hasbara. We are optimistic and for the first time in my lifetime, truly believe that the Zionist regime’s days are numbered. Palestine will be free.

agreed. but as Lyn says there is no point freeing Palestine and subjugating another group. that place has been at pretty much constant war for 2000 years, being passed from one coloniser to the other. currently the Palestinians are being brutalized and I sincerely hope that stops. free Palestine, free Jews, free Christians, free Muslims, Free everyone.

This notion that the region has been at constant war for 2000 years is not true. Prior to the Zionist movement, Palestine had all three Abrahamic religions coexisting peacefully for thousands of years. Any conflict was with colonial powers, Romans, crusaders, Ottomans, then the British, and now the Zionists. Freeing Palestine has nothing to do with subjugating any other race or ethnicity. Anti semetism is a purely European phenomenon. Contrary to what the west thinks, the Middle East, cradle of civilization, has mostly lived in peace. It’s been at war for the past century because a violent settler colonial entity invaded, stole land, and has been violently ethnically cleansing the indigenous population.

they were coexisting peacefully under British subjugation though...not sure any indigenous population there has had self determination. the three abrahamic religions have major bases there to justify successive invasions and inspire battle, not because the earth is magical. no disrespect intended. I hope the brutal occupation ends, but also hope it doesn't get replaced by another one this time.

Appreciate your sentiment, but we need to get the facts right. The Ottoman Empire ruled over Palestine and Arabia for 401 years, from the conquest of Jerusalem in 1516 to the dawn of the British Mandate in 1917. I would not classify both these rules as “subjugation”. Indigenous people of all religions were always able to own property and have equal rights. Yes they paid taxes to the ottomans and then the British very briefly, but that’s very different to what the Zionists are doing now. The Zionists are the only colonizers that didn’t respect property rights, and violently expelled and proceeded to ethnically cleanse the local population.

such a refreshing and reasonable take it is crazy that some people somehow think that in order to oppose the violence Israel is perpetrating towards Gaza you need to support Hamas. be careful of false dichotomies people, be like Lyn

Yes, I find it instructive to consider Israel as one might have considered South Africa. Even the official treatment of native palestinians by israel, before the current conflict, is far worse. If you are born arab in the occupied territories you are subject to martial law - you have no rights, no prospects, simply because of your ethnicity. It's beyond me why anyone thinks such a situation is remotely justifiable or sustainable. People say "it's complicated" but it's really not. To make a jewish state you have to get rid of the non-jewish natives and that's been in progress since 1948. It's called ethnic cleansing and it used to be considered a bad thing!