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Did Yale remove the word ‘Israeli’ from a campus couscous dish? Yes and no.
(JTA) — Fights over Israel and the Palestinians on campus have taken place on quads across the country, in classrooms and, recently, in the halls of Congress.
This week, at Yale University, the debate moved to the dining hall. And from there, of course, to social media.
On Monday, sophomore Sahar Tartak posted on X, formerly Twitter, that a dish offered on campus named “Israeli couscous salad with spinach and tomatoes” had been renamed to remove the word “Israeli.” Her tweets on the change were shared thousands of times.
“Imagine returning to your dining hall to find that salad labels were renamed to remove mention of the salads being ‘Israeli,’” wrote Tartak, who has written in recent weeks about facing hostility on campus as a pro-Israel student. “That happened at Yale this week. It’s the subtle changes and redactions that are the most pernicious.”
The claim was amplified by Libs of TikTok, the massively popular right-wing social media account run by Chaya Raichik, who is Jewish, and who included images of the Israeli couscous salad label before and after the name change.
Whether the change had actually taken place, however, was unclear. The following day, Viktor Kagan, another student, shared an image of the salad bar on Dec. 12 that showed that the word “Israeli” had returned to the name of the dish, spurring allegations that the whole story had been made up.
Neither Kagan nor Tartak responded to JTA requests for comment. But it turns out they were both right. A representative from Yale’s office of communication told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that in July, Yale Hospitality, which oversees campus dining, decided to remove ethnic and geographical markers from food labels.
“Authenticity of the food and naming of the recipes have been a concern brought to us by students in the past. There were times that they felt our food did not ‘authentically’ represent the country or ethnicity referenced in the name,” the spokesperson said in an email. “To that end, our team made the decision to remove names of countries and ethnicities from recipes.”
But the statement added that because “Israeli couscous” is an ingredient in the dish at issue, it was an exception to the rule: The word “Israeli” had indeed been removed, but would be put back.
“In this case, Israeli Couscous is indeed an actual ingredient and is explicitly listed on the ingredient list,” the email said. “Considering it is the main ingredient, it is appropriate to remain in the title, and we will correct this oversight.”
The kerfuffle not only played into the heated debates over the Israel-Hamas war that have beset universities nationwide and led to the resignation of the president of the University of Pennsylvania, another Ivy League school. It also reflected how food — what it is called, and to whom it is credited — has long played into discussions of Israeli and Palestinian culture and history.
Nir Avieli, a cultural anthropologist at Israel’s Ben Gurion University who studies food, said debates over which foods are Israeli and Palestinian serve as a proxy for which people has a stronger claim to nationhood. That, in turn, ties into who should control the territory encompassing Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
“When you deny Israel for the unique cuisine, you’re saying this is not a real culture. How could they have a cuisine? They are not a culture, they are not a people,” Avieli said. “This denial of the existence of Israeli cuisine is parallel to the denial of Palestinian cuisine by Israelis.”
“If a cuisine exists, it means that the culture exists,” he added. “It means that there is a people with a history, with terroir. And then if you deny the existence of these people, how can they have a cuisine?”
Those debates are especially charged on campus, he said, where students are used to spending their time discussing world affairs and see those conversations reflected in what dishes they choose in the dining hall.
“Food is politics. And you see why people get upset,” he said. “They go to lunch, they want to have a rest. They’ve been studying in classes, they’re doing political science, they’re debating. They are pro-Israel, they are anti-Israel, they are antisemitic, they are whatever they are. But when they go to lunch, they want to have a break. And they go and they want to have a break and then they get Israeli couscous and they get very upset. Because they get a political thorn on their side.”
For what it’s worth, Israeli couscous is not really couscous at all, in fact. In Israel, the dish is called “ptitim” and was an invention of the Osem company during the early 1950s, when Israeli food was rationed, at the behest of then-Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Ptitim are a wheat-based rice substitute, extruded through a round mold and then cut and toasted. It is sometimes referred to as “Ben-Gurion’s rice” because its original shape was oblong and rice-like. Today, ptitim come in both oblong and pearl shapes.
Ptitim resembles a similar Palestinian dish called maftoul made from bulgur and wheat flour. It is also similar to an Eastern European Jewish egg noodle called farfel; a Sardinian semolina-based pasta called fregula and other foods.
“Nothing is original. Always things evolve. And they evolve in contact with other cultures,” Avieli said.
“One big mistake that people have with their perception of culture [is] that culture, and specifically food, is static, is my grandmother’s,” he added. “The whole idea of something being claimed to be pure and of a specific culture is completely wrong historically. But of course, it’s political.”
Ptitim didn’t even get the name “Israeli couscous” until 1993, when Israeli-born chef Mika Sharon, who worked in the kitchen of Tribeca Grill in New York, invited executive chef Don Pintabona home for dinner, and he took a bite of the ptitim Sharon served to her daughter. Pintabona soon added it to the menu at Tribeca Grill, serving it alongside seared sea bass and calling it “Israeli couscous.” The dish took off over the next decade, according to the publication Taste.
In recent years, it has been common for online discourse to veer into arguments over who really invented “Israeli salad,” or questions about whether hummus and falafel can be considered Israeli or Palestinian, or whether they are Egyptian or Jordanian or Syrian or Lebanese.
Avieli remarked that the war between Russia and Ukraine could also be bringing up parallel ethnic tensions when it comes to food. (Borscht is a classic example of a disputed food that Russians say is Russian and Ukrainians say is Ukrainian. Its English spelling, with a “t,” is attributed to the Yiddish pronunciation, which was brought to the United States by Ashkenazi Jews.)
He recalled watching on live television when a right-wing nationalist member of the Israeli Knesset, Rehavam Ze’evi, crossed off the word Arab in front of “Arab salad” on a restaurant menu, and wrote “Israeli” in its place.
In 2018, Virgin Atlantic removed the word “Palestinian” from an in-flight couscous salad that included a mix of maftoul and couscous, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and mint after complaints from pro-Israel supporters who threatened to boycott the airline and accused Virgin Atlantic of being “terrorist sympathizers.” The name was changed to “couscous salad.”
“This battle over identity through food is something that is ongoing everywhere, not only here,” Avieli said.
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Danish Suspect Arrested for Spying on Berlin’s Jewish Community for Iranian Intelligence Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
The Iranian flag flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 3, 2023. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
A man accused of spying on Jewish institutions and individuals in Berlin on behalf of Iranian intelligence — allegedly in preparation for potential terrorist attacks — has been arrested in Denmark.
In a statement released Tuesday, German prosecutors confirmed that a Danish citizen was detained last week in Aarhus, a city in western Denmark, on suspicion of being tasked by Iranian intelligence with collecting information on “Jewish localities and specific Jewish individuals” in the German capital.
According to German authorities, the man allegedly spied on three properties last month, “presumably in preparation for further intelligence activities in Germany, possibly including terrorist attacks on Jewish targets.”
While it hasn’t been disclosed which sites and individuals were targeted, a report by German magazine Der Spiegel revealed that the suspect took photos of several houses, including the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society (DIG).
The suspect is accused of working for a foreign intelligence service, reportedly receiving orders from the Quds Force, Iran’s elite paramilitary unit responsible for directing its proxies and terrorist operations abroad.
After being extradited from Denmark, the suspect will appear before a German judge who will decide whether to keep him in custody pending formal charges.
This latest threat comes as concerns grow over Iranian sleeper cells while tensions in the Middle East escalate amid the ongoing conflict between Tehran and Jerusalem.
After Israel struck Iranian nuclear facilities last month to prevent the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Iran warned of retaliation, saying it may activate sleeper cells abroad and mobilize its proxies — from Hezbollah to the Houthis — to target Israeli assets in response to the attacks.
As tensions escalated between the two adversaries, Jewish security groups and institutions worldwide, including schools and synagogues, increased security measures and urged vigilance, anticipating that Iran — limited in its capacity to retaliate militarily against Israel — might target Israeli and Jewish interests abroad.
Tehran has a long history of deploying spies to orchestrate assassination plots and attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets across Europe and the United States.
For example, Swiss authorities last year arrested Swedish teenagers who, acting on Iranian instructions, attempted to attack the Israeli embassy in Stockholm.
There have also been reports of Iranian links to a shooting at a German synagogue and planned attacks on Jewish sites in Cyprus in recent years.
In the US, one notable case is the foiled 2011 plot in which authorities uncovered an Iranian plan to assassinate the then-Saudi ambassador by bombing Café Milano, a Washington, DC, restaurant popular with American officials.
Germany has long been a strong ally of Israel, even as an increasing number of European Union members adopt anti-Israel stances and push for measures against the country.
At the same time, Berlin has maintained a tense relationship with Tehran while striving to re-engage Iran diplomatically over its nuclear program.
The post Danish Suspect Arrested for Spying on Berlin’s Jewish Community for Iranian Intelligence Amid Rising Middle East Tensions first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Administration Issues Harvard University Civil Rights Violation Notice
US President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation accompanied by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House, June 21, 2025. Photo: Carlos Barria via Reuters Connect.
The Trump administration has issued Harvard University a “notice of violation” of civil rights law following an investigation which examined how it responded to dozens of antisemitic incidents reported by Jewish students since the 2023-2024 academic year.
As first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Monday, the correspondence, sent by the Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, charged that Harvard willfully exposed Jewish students to a deluge of racist and antisemitic abuse following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre, which precipitated a surge in anti-Zionist activity on the campus, both in the classroom and out of it. It concluded with a threat to cancel all federal funding for Harvard.
“Failure to institute adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and continue to affect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” wrote the four federal officials comprising the multiagency Task Force. “Harvard may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again.”
On Monday, Kenneth Marcus, former assistant secretary of education for civil rights under the George W. Bush administration and chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, told The Algemeiner that the notice signals the administration’s intent to see through its campus reform agenda.
“We have known for some time that the Trump administration believes that Harvard is in violation of Title VI [of the Civil Rights Act of 1964], but it is nevertheless instructive to see the Task Force lay out its case,” Marcus explained. “If the Justice Department intends to take Harvard to court, it is critical for them to take care of such formalities. Alternatively, if their focus is on negotiations, this is a sign of seriousness. Given the recent staff reductions throughout the federal government, it is important to see that the administration has the bandwidth to develop and advance detailed allegations.”
The Joint Task Force comprises Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum, Acting General Counsel for the Department of Education Thomas Wheeler, and Acting General Counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services Sean Keveney.
In a statement to The Algemeiner, Steve McGuire, a Campus Freedom Fellow at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), wrote: “While ACTA has concerns about some aspects of the Trump administration’s approach to Harvard’s civil rights problems, it seems clear that the university is not going to fix them on its own. With respect to antisemitism, its own leaders and some of its most prominent defenders have conceded that it has a problem. Harvard has cultivated an intolerant intellectual culture in which mistreating Jews and Israelis is allowed or even encouraged. The Trump administration is right to call this out, and I hope it will engage in a full and proper process to ensure Harvard rectifies the problem.”
The administration, McGuire added, should aim “to ensure that cultural change at the university sticks and endures over the long run” while encouraging Harvard to “work to address other issues, including inadequate protections for free expression and its lack of intellectual diversity, if it wants to reform a culture that has clearly gone off the rails and made discrimination of various kinds acceptable at the university for way too long.”
Campus antisemitism expert Yael Lerman of StandWithUs, said, “This finding marks a critical milestone toward possible federal actions, such as withholding funding, and signals important progress in upholding Title VI protections. We hope Harvard’s response to this determination will be swift action to ensure the safety and equal protection to which Harvard’s Jewish and Israeli students are entitled.”
Harvard University has previously admitted to mismanaging the campus antisemitism crisis.
Several weeks after sparring with the Trump administration, as well as suing it in federal court, Harvard released its long-anticipated report on campus antisemitism. The over 300-page document provided a complete account of antisemitic incidents on Harvard’s campus in recent years — from the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee’s endorsement of the Oct. 7 terrorist atrocities to an anti-Zionist faculty group’s sharing an antisemitic cartoon depicting Jews as murderers of people of color — and said that one source of the problem is the institution’s past refusal to afford Jews the same protections against discrimination enjoyed by other minority groups.
Interim Harvard president Alan Garber apologized for the inconsistent application of anti-discrimination policy.
“I am sorry for the moments when we failed to meet the high expectations we rightfully set for our community,” Garber said in a statement that accompanied the report. “The grave, extensive impact of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel and its aftermath had serious repercussions on campus. Harvard cannot — and will not — abide bigotry. We will continue to provide for the safety and security of all members of our community and safeguard their freedom from harassment. We will redouble our efforts to ensure that the university is a place where ideas are welcomed, entertained, and contested in the spirt of seeking truth; where argument proceeds without sacrificing dignity; and where mutual respect is the norm.”
Monday’s notice from the Trump administration comes as Harvard resumes discussion with federal officials regarding a potential agreement for restoring $3 billion in federal research grants and contracts the government withheld in the early stages of its investigation of antisemitism at Harvard.
According to a report published by The Harvard Crimson on Thursday, Garber held a phone call with major donors in which he “confirmed in response to a question from [Harvard Corporation Fellow David M. Rubenstein] that talks had resumed” but “declined to share specifics of how Harvard expected to settle with the White House.”
Garber “did not discuss how close a deal could be,” the Crimson reported, “and said instead that Harvard had focused on laying out the steps it was already taking to address issues that are common ground for the University and the Trump administration. Areas of shared concern that have been discussed with the White House included ‘viewpoint diversity’ and antisemitism.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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Rep. Thomas Massie, Vocal Israel Critic, Trailing By Huge Margin in Latest GOP Primary Poll
US Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) leaves meeting of the House Republican Conference in the US Capitol, June 4, 2025. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is facing an uphill battle to secure reelection, as new polling shows the Republican congressman trailing a Trump-backed challenger in a primary race that’s quickly becoming a referendum on his break with GOP orthodoxy.
A recent Kaplan Strategies poll of likely Republican voters in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District found Massie pulling in just 19% support. That’s well behind his opponent, nurse and political newcomer Niki Lee Ethington, who led the poll with 31%. Half of those surveyed remained undecided.
Another poll, conducted by Trump-aligned firm McLaughlin & Associates, showed an even larger gap: Ethington at 52%, Massie at just 23%.
The dramatic shift in voter sentiment comes as Massie has drawn criticism from conservatives over his increasingly vocal opposition to US military aid to Israel and his refusal to back several congressional resolutions expressing support for the country.
Massie was the lone Republican to vote against a bipartisan resolution condemning antisemitism on college campuses earlier this year. He has also opposed funding packages for Israel during its war against Hamas in Gaza and has used social media to cast doubt on Israel’s military tactics, actions that have put him at odds with most of his party.
During an appearance on the podcast of controversial political commentator Tucker Carlson, Massie criticized the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) — the foremost pro-Israel lobbying group in the US — accusing the organization of employing “AIPAC babysitters” to steer congressional votes.
In a recent post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Massie said, “Blind support for foreign governments, including Israel, has cost this country dearly. Congress must put America first.”
Massie has also suggested that Israel deliberately targets civilian infrastructure during its military campaigns, an unfounded accusation which enraged many supporters of the Jewish state.
The congressman’s conduct has fueled attacks from pro-Israel conservatives and from former President Donald Trump, who has made Massie one of his top primary targets this cycle. Trump has labeled him a “disaster” and a “phony libertarian” and has publicly pledged to unseat him.
“Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky is not MAGA … Actually, MAGA doesn’t want him, doesn’t know him, and doesn’t respect him,” Trump said in a June 22 Truth Social post.
“Massie is weak, ineffective, and votes ‘NO’ on virtually everything … He is disrespectful to our great military — not even acknowledging their brilliance and bravery in yesterday’s attack, which was a total and complete WIN,” Trump wrote.
Massie, who has long positioned himself as a libertarian-leaning outlier in the Republican caucus, has previously endured primary challenges with little difficulty. But this year, the stakes appear different.
The White House has launched a super PAC, Kentucky MAGA, with plans to spend millions to boost Ethington or another Trump-endorsed alternative. Party insiders are also reportedly urging state lawmakers, including State Sen. Aaron Reed and Rep. Kimberly Moser, to consider entering the race.
Massie has dismissed the effort as a “D.C.-funded hit job” and vowed not to abandon his principles. He raised more than $120,000 in the 24 hours after Trump’s first attack, according to his campaign.
The Kentucky primary is scheduled for May 2026.
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