© ATOM 2012
A STUDY GUIDE by Katy Marriner
http://www.metromagazine.com.au
ISBN: 978-1-74295-198-0
http://www.theeducationshop.com.au
Left: Director
Trevor Graham
Could a love of hummus be the
recipe for peace in the Middle
East? This was the question on
director Trevor Graham’s mind
when he set out to film Make
Hummus Not War (2012).
One of the oldest known prepared foods in human
history, hummus is claimed by multiple Middle
Eastern nationalities. So when Graham, a selfdescribed hummus tragic, learned of a Lebanese
plan to sue Israel for acting as if it had proprietary
rights over the dish, he was intrigued. In 2008,
the Association of Lebanese Industrialists ignited
the ‘Hummus War’, by deciding to sue Israel in an
international court, claiming Israeli food manufacturers were promoting traditional Arab cuisine as
an Israeli product. Graham’s decision to document
the intense rivalry over chickpeas and who ‘owns’
the hummus heritage lead him to the hummus bars
of the Middle East where he met people for whom
hummus is a near religious obsession.
Funny, lively and insightful, Make Hummus Not
War, offers a different take on the politics and strife
that has engulfed the Middle East since the foundation of Israel in 1948.
Visit Make Hummus Not War online at <http://www.
makehummusnotwar.com>. and <https://www.
facebook.com/pages/Make-Hummus-Not-War/
306468009386692>. The official trailer for Make
Hummus Not War can be viewed online at <http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yITOS8jrgbc>.
Curriculum links
Make Hummus Not War offers an insight into conflict in the Middle East and how this conflict plays
out in the everyday life of those who live in this
region. It acknowledges the pre-21st century events
that students need to understand to contextualise the contemporary conflict between Israel and
Palestine. The documentary also provides students
with the opportunity to discuss the possibility of
conflict resolution and reconciliation.
Make Hummus Not War invites students to see
themselves as global citizens and a primary aim of
the activities in this study guide is to raise students’ interest in and awareness of global politics. In completing the tasks of this study guide,
students will explore, explain and evaluate a global
political conflict, the forces that have shaped
this conflict and the responses to this conflict.
Students are also encouraged to critically analyse
Make Hummus Not War as a medium for presenting information about a controversial issue and
telling personal stories.
Teachers are advised to begin their online research
at <http://www.besthistorysites.net/index.php/
modern-history/middle-east-conflict>.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
Make Hummus Not War is suitable for secondary students in Years 9 – 12 undertaking Arabic,
English, Geography, Global Politics, Food and
Technology, History, Media and Religion.
Ur Levy from Hummus Talpiot, in Jerusalem
2
1
Trevor Graham | Director
Dr Trevor Graham has worked as a writer,
producer and director of documentary in the
Australian industry for almost thirty years.
His documentaries have been screened and
broadcast nationally and around the world.
He has made numerous co-productions and
commissioned works for Channel 4 and the
BBC (Britain), WGBH (America), ARTE (France/
Germany), AVRO (Netherlands), SBS and ABC
TV (Australia).
In 1997, Graham wrote and directed Mabo Life
of an Island Man, a feature film about Eddie
Mabo’s personal struggle for recognition of his
native title rights to his home on Murray Island
in the Torres Strait. The film won the Australian
Film Institute Award for Best Documentary,
was nominated for a Logie and won both the
prestigious NSW Premier’s History Award and
the NSW Premier’s Award for Best Screenplay.
Throughout 2002 and 2003, Graham lived
for a year in Arnhem Land where he directed
and filmed Lonely Boy Richard for ABC TV, an
intimate account of alcohol addiction and one
man’s personal journey to jail. The project was
nominated for an AFI Award Best Documentary
in 2004. Graham was employed by ABC TV
throughout 2008 and 2009 as both a Series
Producer and Executive Producer on the
broadcaster’s flagship Indigenous weekly TV
strand Message Stick.
• Did you enjoy watching Make Hummus Not
War?
• Did Make Hummus Not War make you hungry?
• Media releases and reports about Make
Hummus Not War have described the documentary as humorous, educational, inspired,
poignant, important, original and powerful.
What words would you use to describe Make
Hummus Not War? Endorse your choices with
evidence from Make Hummus Not War.
2
How to make hummus
‘Wikipedia, lists six different spellings for hummus. It’s a dip made from chickpeas – cooked and
mashed – blended with tahini, lemon juice, salt and
garlic. Hummus is a staple in the Middle East. And
now on supermarket shelves in New York, Paris,
London and Sydney where I live.’ – Trevor Graham
Writer and
Director:
Trevor Graham
Producers:
Ned Lander
and Trevor
Graham
Executive
Producer:
Andrew Myer
Editor:
Denise Haslem
ASE
Cinematographer:
Jenni Meaney
Music:
David Bridie
Animation
supervisor:
Tim Richter
Hummus is one of the oldest known prepared
foods in human history. Israeli author, Meir Shalev,
argued in an article titled ‘Hummus is Ours’ that
references to the food date back to Biblical
times.
‘At mealtime come thou hither, and eat
of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the
hometz’
– Ruth 2:14
For Israelis, Lebanese, Syrians, Egyptians,
Jordanians, Palestinians, Turks and Iraqis, hummus is a culinary icon and a staple of their diet.
Hummus has also become a global food
commodity, manufactured and sold
everywhere.
• ‘It’s just a dried up, wrinkled pea. So
why does its signature dish arouse so
much passion.’
– Trevor Graham
Hummus: just another dip?
-- Trevor Graham, the director of Make
Hummus Not War admits that he is a
‘hummus tragic’. What about you?
Do you like hummus? Have you
ever made hummus? Is hummus
part of your family’s cultural background? Do you know the origin of
your family’s hummus recipe?
• Why eat hummus? Use print and electronic resources to determine the nutritional and health
benefits of hummus.
• ‘Did Jesus munch hummus at his Last Supper?
Perhaps Moses wolfed down chickpeas as he
delivered his people to the Promised Land?’
– Trevor Graham
Left: Director, Trevor Graham,
a Bondi Beach (Australia)
‘hummus tragic’ Above: Tasty
humus at the Sultan Ibrahim
Restaurant Beirut.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
Prior to this Graham was a Commissioning
Editor for Documentary at Australia’s multicultural broadcaster SBS-TV, where he worked
for three years. At SBS Graham commissioned over ninety hours of prime time television; including Eco House Challenge a series
promoting environmental sustainability in the
family home, Destination Australia, and I’ll
Call Australia Home. He has also worked in
online documentary producing and directing Homeless for ABC online and Mabo - The
Native Title Revolution. In 2010, Graham was
awarded a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the
University of Technology Sydney UTS.
First impressions
3
Claudia Roden’s
Hummus recipe
Directions:
Claudia Roden
Ingredients:
--250 g chickpeas, soaked in cold
water overnight
--2 lemons, juice of
--3 tbsp tahini
--3 garlic cloves, crushed
--salt
--4 tbsp olive oil
--Garnish with:
--1 tbsp olive oil
--1 tsp paprika
--1 tsp ground cumin
--2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
1Drain the chickpeas and simmer
in fresh water for about an
hour or until tender. Reserve the
cooking water.
2Process the chickpeas in a blender
(or food processor) with the lemon
juice, tahini, garlic, olive oil,
salt and enough of the cooking
liquid to obtain a soft creamy
consistency.
3Serve on a flat plate, garnished
with a dribble of olive oil, a
dusting of paprika and ground
cumin (this is usually done in
the shape of a cross) and a little
parsley.
4Serve with warm pita bread for
dipping.
Above: Animation, “Did
Moses munch chickpeas as
he delivered his people to
the promised land?
publisher Janna Gur
books are respected for their writing as much
as for their recipes.
-- Try Claudia Roden’s recipe for hummus (left
inset).
• ‘So there is Jerusalem hummus that is fluffier
and lighter, and there is Galilean that is chunkier. And there is Jaffa, which I think is spicier.
There are differences, from village to village,
and from hummus joint to hummus joint.’
– Janna Gur
Janna Gur is an Israeli food writer, editor, expert
on Israeli-Jewish cuisine and the author of The
Book of New Israeli Food (2008). Gur was born
in the Latvian capital Riga in the former Soviet
Union and immigrated to Israel in 1974, when
she was 16. Gur and her husband Ilan are
the co-founders, in 1991, of Al Hashulchan, a
popular Israeli food and wine magazine.
Visit Janna Gur’s website at <http://www.
jannagur.com>.
Her recipe for hummus can be found online at <http://www.jannagur.com/108704/
Basic-Hummus-Dip-1>.
• Do you have a favourite brand of store bought
hummus?
Organise a class taste test to determine which
supermarket brand of hummus deserves to be
honoured. Document the taste test and report
your findings using Tumblr. Each student needs
to be assigned a role. Each student is expected
to contribute to the class tumblelog.
Tumblr is a blogging platform that allows users
to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and
audio to their tumblelog, a short-form blog.
• Humusiya is a newly coined Hebrew word for a
restaurant serving hummus.
Have you ever eaten hummus at a humusiya?
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
-- Drawing on make Hummus Not War and
other print and electronic sources, construct a timeline that depicts the history of
hummus.
-- While you may choose the format of your
timeline, you should use both words and
images to depict this passage in time. You
may use sound. This is your chance to be
creative but keep in mind that the timeline
must be historically accurate.
• What other Middle Eastern food has become
part of the Australian diet?
• ‘Every recipe tells a story and chickpeas are so
common in the Arab world that they could be a
symbol of it.’ – Claudia Roden
Food writer Claudia Roden is the doyenne of
Middle Eastern food. Roden was born in Cairo,
Egypt, in 1936. Three of her grandparents
were from Aleppo, in what is now Syria, and
one came from Istanbul, in Turkey. Her family
was part of the extensive Sephardic Jewish
community living in Egypt until the 1956 Suez
Crisis. The experience of exile propelled Roden
to begin her career as a cookbook writer of
Middle Eastern cuisine. Her first book, A Book
of Middle Eastern Food was published in 1968.
Since then over a dozen others have followed
including The Book of Jewish Food – An
Odyssey from Samarkand and Vilna to Present
Day in 1997. Claudia has also taught Middle
Eastern cooking from her home in London. She
was a foreign food correspondent for The Daily
Telegraph, and hosted a BBC TV series Claudia
Roden’s Mediterranean Cookery. Roden’s
Israeli food writer and
4
-- Use Table 1 (page 6) to record your observations about the cafes and restaurants that
Graham visits in Make Hummus Not War,
the people who own and operate these establishments, the customers and of course
the hummus.
-- Share your observations with others in the
class. Spend time discussing the similarities
and differences. What conclusions can you
make?
• ‘Hummus is not a food. Hummus is a
subculture, okay?’
– Shooky Galili
Trevor visits Shooky Galili, otherwise known
as ‘the hummus guy’. Shooky is an Israeli
journalist and blogger – the founder of
The Hummus Blog – a website for global
compulsives infatuated with chickpeas.
-- Read Shooky’s blog at <http://humus101.
com/EN/> and visit the Facebook page at
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/The
-Hummus-Blog/162032376831?sk=info>.
-- Share your discoveries about hummus and
your impressions of just how obsessive
people are about hummus with your peers.
3
The battleground
Make Hummus Not War takes its audience to
places steeped in conflict. Trevor Graham travels to
Israel, Lebanon and Palestine to learn more about
the war over hummus.
Shooky Galili
hi/middle_east/03/v3_israel_palestinians/maps/
html/>.
-- Students are encouraged to draw on these
maps and the accompanying descriptions
to arrive at a knowledge and understanding
of the conflict.
• To learn more about Israel, the Palestinian
territories and Lebanon visit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east
-14628835
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east
-14630174
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east
-14647308
4
Ownership
Teachers are advised to discuss the concept of
ownership in a more general way, encouraging students to share how they perceive ownership before
tackling Activities 4 and 5.
• The Oxford Dictionary defines ownership as the
act, state, or right of possessing something.
-- What do you claim as your own?
-- Why is ownership important?
-- What are the advantages of owning
something? Are there any disadvantages?
-- Can you recall a time in your life when
ownership caused conflict?
Clockwsie top left: xxxxxx
xxxx xxx; Palestinian protestors
against the Separation Wall in
Bil’in Village Palestinian West
Bank; Spice store in the Old City,
Jerusalem.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
• On a blank map of the Middle East, label the
major Middle Eastern countries and their capitals. Add the places that Trevor Graham visited
during the filming of Make Hummus Not War.
Your map should have a border, legend and title
and it should indicate orientation, scale and
source.
-- Annotate the map by providing a brief description of each place that Trevor Graham
visits Make Hummus Not War.
• Ownership of land is at the core of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.
A series of maps showing the history of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict over land can be accessed at <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/
‘Hummus is
not a food.
Hummus is a
subculture,
okay?’
5
Table 1
THE EXPERTS
Your observations
George Salameh and his family are the
owners of Afteem, a legendary hummus
cafe that has been on the fringe of Manger
Square in Bethlehem since 1948. George’s
family was originally from the Palestinian
port town of Jaffa, now part of greater
Tel Aviv, but fled as refugees in 1948 to
Bethlehem. Jordan annexed the city in the
1948 Arab-Israeli War, it was occupied by
Israel in the 1967 Six Day War and since
1995 has been governed by the Palestinian
National Authority. George’s parents initially
ran a small bakery but moved eventually
into hummus and falafel. Afteem was
until the building of the wall surrounding
Bethlehem, and travel restrictions, a
popular destination for Israeli hummus
lovers.
‘You have to feel the pita. You have
to feel the hummus. It’s sort of a
ceremony’ – Uri Levy
Uri Levy is the co-owner of a family
owned restaurant, Hummus Talpiot, in the
industrial suburb of the same name, on the
outskirts of Jerusalem. Uri’s father’s family
was originally from Iraq and his mother’s
from Spain. He is a hummus maker by
day and a popular Jerusalem DJ by night.
Hummus Talpiot is almost entirely staffed
by Palestinians.
’All my life is hummus. I dream about
hummus. I make hummus. I love hummus.’ – Meir Micha
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
Meir Micha is the owner of Pinati, a chain
of hummus restaurants throughout Israel.
The original store is in the heart of West
Jerusalem. Meir started making hummus
when he was a young boy, by watching his
Turkish grandfather who had a small falafel
and hummus stall at the Jerusalem market.
The first Pinati restaurant was opened by
Meir in its current location in 1975. It was
a Turkish restaurant. At that time all the
hummus was made without machines, by
hand. Pinati today is a Jerusalem hummus
landmark.
6
Table 1
‘Maybe most of the people who come
here now are Israelis, because it’s
difficult for other people to come
here, like people from the West Bank.
But we get all kinds here, Arabs,
Jews, foreigners and tourists.’ –
Gahleb Zahdeh
Ghaleb Zahdeh is a prince of Palestinian
hummus. He has been in the business
for about 35 years and his handcrafted
hummus has influenced his outlook on life.
He has been in the Old City premises for 35
years. Situated in the Christian Arab quarter,
Lina hummus is one of the best, lightly
spiced with a jalapeno pepper.
‘Mmm. Incredible hummus. Every day
I taste it. Every day is like the first
day. Mmm. I love my stuff. It’s the
best.’ – Ruth Tavour
Hummus Ashkara has a reputation for
offering the best in Tel Aviv. Ruth Tavour’s
hummus is light and fluffy. Ruth, who has
an Italian father and a Tunisian mother, was
born on the ship that brought her parents
to Israel in 1962. Hummus is not part of
the Tunisian kitchen, so Ruth’s appreciation
and love of hummus comes from her life
growing up in Israel.
In Lebanon, Trevor visits the gastronomic
landmark in the capital, Beirut – The
Sultan Ibrahim Restaurant. He dines with
Lebanon’s Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud.
Together they sample what Trevor Graham
refers to the ‘complete arsenal’ of Lebanese
hummus.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
Soucci is a hummus institution in
downtown Beirut. Trevor Graham rates the
hummus in his top ten. The owner Raji
Kebbe comes from a long line of hummus
makers. His trade has been inherited from
his grandfather Abu Mahmoud El Soucci,
who started in the hummus business at the
Beirut market in the late nineteenth century.
Raji started in the business when he was
fourteen years old and has been a hummus
maker for over fifty years.
7
Above: Animation, Does
hummus as claimed by
author Meir Shalev, date
back to biblical times.
• Do you have a room of your own? What other
places and spaces do you claim ownership of?
Why are these places and spaces important to
you? Has your ownership of these places and
spaces ever been threatened? How did you
respond?
5
Meir Micha, a top gun in the Hummus War,
Culinary War
‘I want to know – can a nation own a food? –
Trevor Graham
In 2008, the National Association of Lebanese
Industrialists decided to sue Israel in an international court, because the Jewish state claimed propriety over traditional Arab cuisine such as falafel,
tabbouleh and hummus, which Lebanese consider
their own. For Fadi Abboud, Lebanese Minister for
Tourism, the move was considered theft, no different from stealing land. Battle has raged ever since
over who invented hummus and who has the right
to claim it as their own. Abboud has been a loud
voice in the Hummus War. He is also a hummus
producer. His company Naas is one of the few in
Lebanon making fresh hummus in tubs.
a biblical grenade when he wrote and published a
newspaper article titled, ‘The Hummus Is Ours’.
Drawing on the fact that there are now an overabundance of sushi bars in the towns and cities of Middle Eastern countries, hummus maker
Meir Micha questions why the Japanese have not
rushed to assert ownership. His intention is to
prove that no one can own a food, and that any
claim on hummus is preposterous. Hummus activist, Shooky Galili, Israeli journalist and hummus
blogger agrees, ‘Trying to make a copyright claim
over hummus is like claiming for the rights to bread
or wine. Hummus is a centuries old Arab dish –
nobody owns it, it belongs to the region.’
Trevor travels around the globe in search of an
answer. In London he meets with cookbook
writer Claudia Roden, hoping to settle the dispute
once and for all. She suggests that hummus may
belong to Syria, one of the earliest great civilisations. Hummus fanatic and foodie Janna Gur has
a more moderate perspective on the hummus war,
acknowledging that the shift of cuisine from one
country to another is the way food culture works.
• Is it possible to own a food?
• Write a historical account of the hummus war.
Your account should be objective.
Or
Adopting the style of writing used by war correspondents, write an account of the battle over
chickpeas.
Or
Use Comic Life to tell the story of the Hummus
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
Above: Palestinians with
takeout hummus in plastic
bags – Hebron, Palestinian
West Bankv
By 2009, Lebanon and Israel had found a different
way to settle their hummus differences: a competition to build the world’s single largest dish of the
stuff. When the chefs of Israel made a world record
breaking dish of hummus, the battle for culinary
glory escalated. Reclaiming the record became a
matter of national pride for Lebanon. In May 2010,
Lebanon set the record for the largest ever serving of hummus, weighing in at 11.5 tons, double
the previous Israeli effort. The Israelis retaliated,
claiming that taste matters more than size. Team
Palestine entered the fray, making culinary claims
of its own. In the Palestinian town of Ramallah,
Trevor Graham meets with Dr Hanan Ashrawi, a
Palestinian legislator, activist, and scholar, believes
that holding onto hummus is about asserting a distinct identity. Acclaimed author Meir Shalev threw
from Pinati in Jerusalem.
8
• ‘Throughout history of food everywhere, recipes
and dishes move from place to place, from the
country to the country. And that’s how culinary
culture…that’s how food culture works.’
– Janna Gur
As Make Hummus Not War reveals, Trevor
Graham’s tastes have certainly changed over
the years, ‘When I was a kid, I thought there
were three types of food: canned spaghetti,
meat pies and chips with tomato sauce and
vanilla slices.’
-- Spend time as a class, discussing how
Australia’s culinary culture has changed.
Identify the changes that have occurred this
century.
Raed Taha owner of Abu Shukri in the Old City – Jerusalem.
Animation frame: Trevor meets Juliette’s family
Above: Varieties of
delicious hummus served
at Al-Falamanki, in Beirut.
Identify the changes that occurred during
the twentieth century.
-- Share Gur’s claim with your parents and
grandparents. Is this their experience of
food culture?
-- What factors have contributed to the
changes that the class have identified?
• ‘The global march of Israeli hummus, even
extends to my supermarket in faraway Bondi
Beach, Australia.’
– Trevor Graham
Hummus is now a global success story generating huge profits for the big manufacturers,
particularly in the lucrative US market. Two
Israeli companies control two thirds of the
American market. Israeli food giant Strauss
bought out Sabra salads in 2006 and Osem,
took over Tribe in 2008.
-- Who makes the hummus on Australian
supermarket shelves?
-- What do the results of your investigation
suggest about who controls the global
hummus market?
6
‘Nothing symbolises the
Palestinian-Israeli divide more
than Israel’s Separation Wall.’ –
Trevor Graham
Visit the Make Hummus Not War website to view a
film clip about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
War.
Or
Script and then present to the class, a panel
discussion that would occur on a current affairs
program about the chickpea conflict.
• ‘… we don’t mind calling it a Middle Eastern
dish. But, you know, to have the audacity, to
write that this is an Israeli traditional dish, is
beyond belief.’
– Fadi Aboud
‘Well hummus is a very important part of our
culture, of our identity. It’s not just a food.
It’s not just a type of meal. But it’s part of our
history. It’s part of the fact that we do have a
distinct identity, and that as we see everything
else being taken away from us, we don’t want
to see our cuisine also confiscated.’
– Dr Hanan Ashrawi
‘I think that hummus is an Israeli food.’
– Anastasia Michaeli
‘Hummus is a Lebanese invention.’
– Fadi Abboud
-- Why is it so important to Israel, Lebanon
and Palestine to determine who owns
hummus?
• In the end, Trevor Graham concludes that he
owns hummus, as does everyone else who
makes, eats and enjoys it.
-- Do you agree?
• Does your grandmother make the best chocolate cake you have ever tasted? Is your mum’s
home made pizza superior to those from the
local take away? Who really knows how to
work the barbecue in your backyard? Is there a
recipe in your family that incites competition?
Do any of the cooks in your family boast that
they can make a particular dish of food better
than any other member of the family?
-- Share your experiences of family culinary
rivalry and glory with the class.
-- Write a personal narrative about one of
these moments. Include an image that reflects the focus of the narrative in your final
submission.
• In Make Hummus Not War, Graham wonders
if a food can tell a story about who we are and
where we come from. If this is the case, what
food can you family lay claim to?
9
Table 2 – Topic: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
What I know:
What I want to know:
What I learned:
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
10
exist. And Jewish people have their own right
to be here in Israel.’
– Anastasia Michaeli
Anastasia Micaheli is an Israeli politician. She
is a member of Knesset for the Yisrael Beiteinu
political party and has been a member of the
Israeli parliament since March 2009.
-- Spend time as a class discussing the opinions of Dr Hanan Ashrawi and Anastasia
Michaeli regarding the Separation Wall, and
the reasons why they hold these opinions.
-- How does Make Hummus Not War portray
the Separation Wall and its impact on everyday life?
7
sequence of film, Trevor Graham visits Palestinian
farmer Ali Salah, who shows Graham his chickpea
crop, and over a breakfast of hummus and pita
shares his perspective of the conflict over land
and how the Separation Wall threatens his livelihood. Afterwards, Graham crosses the wall to meet
a young Jewish woman Bat El and sample her
mother’s hummus. Like Ali Salah, Bat El shares her
opinion of the unrest in her homeland.
Above: Ali Salah and family
after a hummus breakfast,
a-Khadar village, Palestinian
West Bank. Below: The
Separation Wall forms a giant
canvas of protest pictures in
Bethlehem.
Conflict is a fundamental part
of human existence. Everyone
encounters a range of conflicts
during their life. Conflict may occur
because of a difference in beliefs.
It may be prompted by a clash of
cultures. Sometimes fear leads to
conflict and at other times it may
be disappointment that causes
friction. Conflict can be resolved
but sometimes reconciliation may
be short lived and the conflict will
occur again. A complex conflict may
remain unresolved because of a
failure to negotiate, compromise or
find common ground.
Teachers are advised to begin the close analysis of
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the viewing and
discussion of this film clip.
‘Nothing
symbolises the
PalestinianIsraeli divide
more than
Israel’s
Separation
Wall.’
Trevor Graham
There are many types of conflict, ranging from
conflicts within communities and conflicts between
nations, to smaller conflicts between family members and individuals and even the conflict that an
individual may have within themselves.
-- Extra personal conflict is conflict between
groups.
-- Interpersonal conflict is conflict between
individuals
-- Personal conflict is when an individual experiences inner conflict.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
• What is the Separation Wall? What purpose
does it serve?
• What can we learn from Ali Salah and Bat El’s
accounts of lives governed by the existence of
the Separation Wall?
• ‘The wall is much more than just a physical impediment. It is the embodiment of the
ugliness of the occupation. The worst horrors
that you can see in the occupation. I’ve always
described it as their attempt to steal your
horizon. Their attempt to prevent you from seeing beyond this grey, ugly cement wall. But of
course, they imprison themselves on the other
side, because they steal their own horizon.’
– Dr Hanan Ashrawi
Dr Hanan Ashrawi is one of the most wellknown faces of the PLO. She was an important leader during the First Intifada, served as
the official spokesperson for the Palestinian
Delegation to the Middle East peace process,
and has been elected numerous times to the
Palestinian Legislative Council. She is the first
woman elected to the Palestinian National
Council. In 2003, Dr Ashrawi was awarded the
Sydney Peace Prize.
‘The conflict of this land is the conflict for many
years. And I think Israel has its own right to
11
• Tell the story of a time when you encountered
conflict. In your writing, consider the type of
conflict, its causes and its consequences. Was
the conflict resolved? What did you learn?
The struggle between the Israelis and the
Palestinians is one of the most enduring and explosive of all the world’s conflicts. The Israelis believe
that they are entitled to the land now known as
Israel, while the Palestinians believe that they are
entitled to the land they call Palestine. Both sides
claim the same land; they simply call the land by
different names.
Make Hummus Not War begins it examination of
the conflict with the arrival of Jewish refugees from
war torn Europe during the years of World War Two
and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
Surrounding Arab nations opposed the existence
of the new Jewish nation and wars between Israel
and a coalition of Arab States broke out in 1948,
1956, 1967 and 1973. Since then there have been
numerous wars and many failed attempts to reach
a lasting and peaceful settlement acceptable to
all sides.
Each group accuses the other of initiating violence
and unrest. The conflict has prompted intervention
from global actors, as well as security and human
rights concerns.
• Ask students to maintain a KWL chart to record
their knowledge and understanding of the
conflict between Israel and Palestine on Table
2 (page 10).
Teachers should advise students that accounts
of the conflict between Israel and Palestine vary.
In researching the conflict, students must remain
conscious of the source of any information and the
perspective from which it is written.
8
Finding non-violent ways of
resolving conflicts is necessary
for states and governments, just
as it is for individuals, groups in
families, schools and communities.
• What is conflict resolution?
• Why have efforts to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine and establish peace
failed?
From top: Animations
Insets above: Varieties of
delicious hummus served
at Al-Falamanki, in Beirut.
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
• Why was the State of Israel created in 1948?
Working as a class, compile a PowerPoint
about the history of Israeli-Palestinian conflict
since 1948.
The PowerPoint should refer to the wars fought
over the Israeli state:
- 1948 – War of Independence
- 1956 – Sinai War
- 1967 – Six-Day War
- 1973 – Yom Kippur War
The PowerPoint should explain the Intifada of
1987–1994 and the Second Intifada of 2000–
2006. Several slides should explain the conflict
in the Post Intifada.
Include a series of ‘Who’s Who’ slides that
identify the people and the organisations that
have played a part in the conflict between Israel
and Palestine.
Incorporate a glossary of words and terms associated with the conflict.
Begin your online research at <http://news.
bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/
v3_ip_timeline/html/>.
• What claim does each side make on
Jerusalem?
• What part has religious belief played in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
• In 2011, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas
launched an international campaign to achieve
recognition by the United Nations for an independent Palestinian state.
-- Why do the Palestinian people want their
own state?
-- Who opposes the recognition of Palestinian
as a state? Why?
• Write a news bulletin that describes the current
state of conflict between Israel and Palestine.
• How does Make Hummus Not War, portray the
conflict between Israel and Palestine?
12
Psychotherapist and BDS activist Susan Landau
in Philadelphia. Her slogan “No Justice No Chickpeas”
‘How can you
not love the
idea that a
working class
boy from
Sunshine
made good,
is going to
solve the
Middle East
crisis by
making a
documentary
about chick
peas?’
Ned Lander
9
‘When my old friend and
colleague, Trevor Graham,
told me he was planning to make a
documentary called, Make Hummus
Not War, I said, “What?” and
started laughing. I’ve been laughing
ever since. How can you not love
the idea that a working class boy
from Sunshine made good, is going
to solve the Middle East crisis by
making a documentary about chick
peas?’
– Ned Lander
Make Hummus Not War suggests that finding common ground, is a way of bridging divisions. Given
the one thing all people in the Middle East have in
common is their love of hummus, Trevor Graham
proposes that the chickpea dip is the real Middle
East mediator.
• ‘Call me crazy, call me naïve, but if hummus is
a food of love, could it be the food of peace?’
– Trevor Graham
It is Trevor Graham’s opinion that hummus
traverses frontiers – cultural, religious, national
and personal – and is a symbol of our common
humanity.
Others agree:
‘Hummus makes love, not war.’ – Ruth Tavour
‘When you eat together, you can’t betray each
other.’ – Claudia Roden
‘You know one day, Insha’Allah – God willing –
it will become the food of peace.’ – Janna Gur
‘We say that our vision of peace is having hummus in Damascus.’
– Meir Shalev
‘The most important thing to us is that everyone would sit at the same table and that peace
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
-- What are the basic arguments each side
has regarding resolving the conflict? What
concessions does each side expect of the
other?
• Many attempts have been made to broker a
two-state solution, involving the creation of
an independent Palestinian state alongside an
independent Jewish state or next to the State
of Israel. A number of contentious issues have
caused the conflict to remain unresolved. Since
the November 2007 Annapolis Conference, the
current outline for an Israeli-Palestinian peace
agreement has been a two-state solution.
-- What is the two-state solution? Why is there
opposition to the two-state solution?
• Working as a class, make a list of past peace
plans. When the list is complete, divide into
small groups and investigate the peace plans.
Each small group is responsible for presenting
a summary and an analysis of one of the peace
plans to the class.
• For and against: Name the individuals and
groups who have worked and are working to
establish peace. Name the individuals and
groups who have in the past and who are currently opposing peace.
• Then and now: What role have other countries played in the conflict between Israel and
Palestine? What role should other countries
play?
• In your opinion, is a peaceful resolution of the
conflict possible?
• ‘Don’t buy Sabra and Tribe. Don’t buy into
Israeli apartheid.’
Make Hummus Not War documents a protest
by Jewish and Palestinian activists against
Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. Susan
Landau from ‘Jews for a Just Peace’ and
the ‘Coalition for Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions’ against Israel explains the use of a
flash mob to convince supermarket shoppers
to boycott Sabra and Tribe food products. The
activists argue that the profits from the sales
support the illegal occupation and human rights
abuses created by the government of Israel
against the Palestinian people.
-- What is a boycott?
-- Have you ever participated in a boycott?
Share your experience with the class?
-- Do you think boycotting hummus is a
means to achieve peace? Or do you think
boycotts such as these create greater
division? Wouldn’t it be better to buy both
Israeli and Palestinian products?
-- Working as a class, make a list of reasons for and against boycotts as a protest
against the actions of both the Israeli and
Palestinian governments. When you have
finished compiling the list, spend time discussing whether boycotts are constructive
or destructive to the peace process in the
Middle East.
13
Raji Kebbe, co-owner Soucci Restaurant
Beirut with his hummus family photos
dating back to the nineteenth century
‘The most
important
thing to us is
that everyone
would sit at
the same
table and that
peace would
reign.’
in the fast-paced, fast-food world of competing falafel stands in the West Bank, David and
Fatima, are determined that their love can withstand their families’ animosity and the ongoing
conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Watch the trailer online at <http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=M18vvLliJNU>.
-- Can films like West Bank Story aid the
peace process?
• ‘I believe passionately that documentaries are a
vital part of international culture and democracy
with a unique role to play in reflecting the way
we live – challenging our ideas, assumptions
and fears about the past, present and future of
our world.’ – Trevor Graham
-- Do you think Make Hummus Not War can
play a role in promoting a more peaceful
and democratic world?
-- What can you do to promote peace on a
local, national and global level?
10
‘I’ve grown up and lived my
entire life with the ongoing
Middle East conflict, fortunately
viewing it from the safety of
Australia. But the conflict touches
my life directly and indirectly in
many significant ways. It’s affected
my love life at different stages as
outlined in the film’s story.
Raji Kebbe
Ruth Tavour of
Hummus Ashkara Tel Aviv
Then there is my father’s story, just another example of how, although we are on the other side of
the world, Australian’s are deeply connected to the
Middle East. Dad, because of his war service loved
the Old City – Jerusalem – one of the oldest cities
in the world.’
– Trevor Graham
• ’My hummus story starts far away from the
chickpea frontline, in another era at the bottom
of the world.’
– Trevor Graham
Trevor Graham’s personal relationship with
hummus began in Melbourne in the sixties,
when he was seventeen and fell in love with
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
would reign.’
– Raji Kebbe
-- Is it possible that hummus could be a
means to achieve peace between Israel and
Palestine?
• Who are Chefs for Peace?
Visit the Chefs for Peace website at
<http://chefs4peace.weebly.com>.
-- Can Chefs for Peace make a difference?
-- Discuss Chefs for Peace approach to the
conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
• ‘A little singing, a little dancing, a lot of
hummus.’
– tagline for West Bank Story
Ari Sandel’s Oscar-winning West Bank Story
(2005) is a musical comedy about a cross-cultural romance between David, an Israeli soldier,
and Fatima, a Palestinian fast food cashier. Set
I’ve had many Lebanese and Palestinian friends,
refugees from various conflicts who’ve taken
haven in Australia. I’ve also had Israeli draft dodger
friends who came here to hide, escape the army,
and live their lives in a way we take for granted.
Two of my dearest friends Yosl and Audrey Bergner
live in Tel Aviv. During the first Gulf War, in 1990,
they would ring me in Melbourne to tell me they
were sitting in their living room, on their sofa, staring at each other wearing gas masks, as outside
their windows air raid sirens blared warning of
approaching Scud missiles. They were in their
early seventies at the time and married for over
forty years. “What a sight”, Yosl told me, “After
forty years, now we talk to each other through gas
masks”.
14
A documentary is a non-fiction text that represents
events and people from real life. The purpose of a
documentary could be to provoke thought, to educate or to persuade. To be successful a documentary also needs to engage its audience.
‘a caftan wearing Jewish girl’. Archive footage
takes the audience of Make Hummus Not War
to the streets of Melbourne’s CBD, as Trevor
relates the story of his love for Juliette and their
shared passion for falafel in pita with lashings of
creamy, dribbly hummus. Later in the documentary, Trevor confesses that hummus and midlife crisis hormones usurped his love life yet
again, when he met Lisa-Marie at a film festival
in Toronto. With a Syrian father and a Lebanese
mother, chickpeas were in Lisa-Marie’s blood
but a mutual love of hummus was not enough
to bridge an age difference of twenty years. For
Trevor, it was a case of third time lucky when
he met and married his ‘Portuguese rose’, a
woman who also loves her hummus.
-- Why is the autobiographical narrative told
by Make Hummus Not War an essential part
of the documentary? What would be lost if
we didn’t know how Trevor Graham became
a hummus tragic?
11
Make Hummus Not War is a documentary.
Trevor Graham
SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
‘I wanted the film to
be a mixture of styles,
observational moments bringing
to life hummus on screen for an
audience, so they would leave the
cinema hungry for more – both
for the hummus and its delicious
history. I found great characters
with great stories and humour. It
was an honour to meet them all
and have the opportunity of filming
aspects of their lives.’
– Trevor Graham
I wanted
the film to
be a mixture
of styles,
observational
moments
bringing to
life hummus
on screen for
an audience,
so they would
leave the
cinema hungry
for more
• Have you watched other documentaries? Share
your experiences of this genre with the class. In
what ways is Make Hummus Not War like other
documentaries that you have watched? How
does it differ?
• The title Make Hummus Not War is a play on
the ‘Make Love Not War’ sloganeering of the
sixties. Why do you think Trevor Graham settled
on this as the title of the documentary?
• Discuss and evaluate Trevor Graham’s decision
to narrate Make Hummus Not War.
• Why does Make Hummus Not War rely on humour, after all the conflict in the Middle East is a
serious issue? What moments of the documentary did you find funny?
• Describe and evaluate the way that Make
Hummus Not War uses interviews to explore
the war over hummus and the conflict between
Israel and Palestine.
• Explain and evaluate the use of archive footage
in Make Hummus Not War.
• ‘Animation was always a key ingredient to
enhance the humour and to tell my personal
family story. With animator Tim Richter we
developed a style that draws on Terry Gilliam’s,
Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The animations
are often whimsical, mixed media with references to art, history and religion.’
– Trevor Graham
For information about Monty Python’s Flying
Circus visit <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Monty_Python%27s_Flying_Circus>. You
can watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus on
YouTube. Begin your viewing at <http://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=mA973KVWyr4>.
-- Drawing on this claim and the information about Monty Python’s Flying Circus,
discuss Trevor Graham’s use of animation
in Make Hummus Not War. Your analysis
should refer to one or more of the animation
sequences in the documentary.
• How is music used to tell the multiple stories of
Make Hummus Not War?
• Make Hummus Not War was filmed in The
Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Israel, the
United Kingdom, the United States of America
and Australia.
-- As a class, discuss the possible challenges
of filming in these locations.
• Who would enjoy watching Make Hummus
Not War? Who do you think should watch the
documentary?
15
This study guide was produced by ATOM. (© ATOM 2012)
ISBN: 978-1-74295-198-0 [email protected]
For information on Screen Education magazine,
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SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2012
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