Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Abu Ghoush, Hummus and a Whole Lot More

Without a doubt, everyone in Israel will agree, the Hummus of Abu Ghoush is legendary, the stuff of dreams, the very best in the world.

Abu Ghoush is the name of a little Muslim town tucked into the hills of Jerusalem. It's also the name of an all-Arab commando unit of the IDF. I don't know if I'd say as Ynet does, that it's a prototype for co-existence, because Abu Ghoush the community, the people, have been co-existing in Israel for hundreds of years (estab. in 1520!) Maybe "prototype" is right--they were the first and have always been the strongest and quietest of Israel's Arab communities, and certainly the most loved and cherished by the Jewish State.

I remember when the intifada first broke out, back in 2000, the Arab residents of Abu Ghoush were as outraged as their Jewish neighbors. I know that the Arab residents of Abu Ghoush have always supported Israel's right to exist, just as Israel has respected the Muslim community's right to remain Muslim and still be a part of the State of Israel.

In fact, I know Abu Ghoush has always been a shining example of good people rising above the RIFs War on Peace and insisting on being good neighbors and friends--simply because it's the right thing to do.

Despite closures at the start of the intifada in 2000, Jews from Jerusalem insisted on patronizing restaurants in Abu Ghoush, running checkpoints to do so--and it wasn't just because there lived the best hummus in the world (though that sure was a kicker for me!! I didn't like hummus until I tasted the real deal in Abu Ghoush (I went to The Lebanonese Restaurant at the end of the lane--ironic, huh?)

As the IDF reports
In reality, the Abu Ghosh rescue unit functions as a sort of Homefront Command commando unit or, as Captain Amir Ben-David puts it, "Homefront Command's advance unit in the professional field of rescue operations."
[...]
The unit's strength, explains Captain Ben-David, lies in its skilled and experienced members, "but more than that, they're also men who very much want to contribute. They volunteer because they want to help the country in which they live. They give above and beyond. They have incredible motivation.
The people of Abu Ghoush are loved by the people of Israel because of not only how much they give, but because of who they are. The little Arab town is still a favorite destination for Jerusalemites looking to have a really good meal because all visitors are welcome in Abu Ghoush. Come with a smile and you'll get your smile back--tenfold. And of course, the single best culinary treat in the world: Hummus from Abu Ghoush (are you getting the feeling I like this stuff? :-))

Even though you can't get authentic Abu Ghoush hummus in the States, go get one of those cheap substitutes, raise a piece of pita in salute to Abu Ghoush--the Homefront Command, the community that won't give in to the WOT, and scoop up (in spirit) some of the best hummus in the world! Thank you, Abu Ghoush, you make the world a better place.

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