"Those quotes have to be taken in the context of the conflict that's occurring, and often the people that are saying things about their experience are traumatized by the events that are happening," says Palestinian-American Omar Abuhejleh, owner of Allegro Hearth Bakery in Squirrel Hill and a public-interest attorney. "The problem often is that people look at those visceral reactions and rather than engaging them and talking about them, they want to silence them because they disagree."
Conflict Kitchen says the voices are "central" to their project and that highlighting people's lives in those regions is the entire point. They've handed out the same types of pamphlets with past menu themes — Iranian, Venezuelan, North Korean and Cuban.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, which has criticized Conflict Kitchen's approach, says the problem goes deeper than pamphlets. The group says it is also troubled by Conflict Kitchen's partnerships.
"Here's where their argument [for a Palestinian narrative] fails the litmus test," says Gregg Roman, director of the federation's Community Relations Council. "They're not just offering the point of view of people they interviewed. They're partnering with organizations and people that demonize Israel's right to exist."
Throughout October, Conflict Kitchen hosted events featuring Laila El-Hadded, a blogger also known as Gaza Mom, who gave a talk and dinner; hip-hop artist Jasiri X, who introduced a screening of the film Slingshot Hip-Hop, about music in Palestinian areas; Pitt professor Ken Boas, chair of the board for Israeli Committee Against House Demolition-USA; and Pitt's chapter of the Students for Justice in Palestine.
Roman says these individuals and organizations are part of the so-called BDS movement — boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. The Jewish Chronicle wrote that Boas' talk at Conflict Kitchen in early October became a "wholesale condemnation of Israel."
Roman says the Jewish Federation stands behind Conflict Kitchen's mission to promote understanding and that the death threats against the restaurant were "reckless, irresponsible and despicable." But when it came to holding events at the restaurant, the federation says Conflict Kitchen rejected the federation's suggestions of Palestinian guests who stood for co-existence.
"There's one thing to offer a narrative that is just a person's point of view, but it's another thing to take that narrative and turn it into a political statement," Roman says. "That's what they're doing when they partner with these organizations. ...We're not trying to negate the Palestinian perspective, we're just asking them to be honest and not to warp reality."
Conflict Kitchen co-director Dawn Weleski says they have never censored audience members and have provided a safe environment for people to speak.
El-Haddad, who is based in Maryland, has responded on her blog in the wake of the criticism, saying that people have a hard time handling a stand-alone Palestinian narrative without the counterbalance of an Israeli response.
"It [the pamphlet and events] was really nothing more than Palestinians speaking about their lives, and that's the point," El-Hadded said in a phone interview. "It's not supposed to be something edited or politically corrected or whatever."
If conversation was what Conflict Kitchen was looking for, it certainly got its wish. Meanwhile, Pittsburghers can get used to this global issue playing out in the form of food. Conflict Kitchen says it will continue serving its menu until mid-March as planned, and Abuhejleh, owner of Allegro bakery, has plans to open a new café with Palestinian fare.
