The latest conflict between Lebanon and Israel is about food: a Lebanese trade group is accusing Israel of falsely taking credit for traditional Middle Eastern dishes like hummus. Fadi Abboud, president of the Lebanese Industrialists Association, said on Tuesday that his group planned to sue Israel to stop it from marketing hummus and other regional dishes as Israeli. “It is not enough they are stealing our land,” Mr. Abboud said. “They are also stealing our civilization and our cuisine.” He said his group would also seek to claim baba ghanouj and tabbouleh as Lebanon’s own.

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company