Palestine-inspired iftar in London promotes solidarity

Ramadan in London has this year been marked by fundraisers for Palestine living under the shadow of Israel's renewed offensive on Gaza.

At a community centre in East London, a group of cooks organised a dinner in support of Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a UK-based charity operating in Gaza. Open iftars have been taking place across Britain during the holy month, at the Royal Family's Windsor Castle, Lord's Cricket Ground, Shakespeare's Globe and Aston Villa FC's home ground, Villa Park in Birmingham, among other venues.

Chef Carol Puthussery led a team putting together a Palestine-inspired vegetarian iftar. She is co-founder of the Olive Roots Collective, formed last year to create dining experiences that highlight Palestinian cuisine, raising funds at the same time.

“The food industry in London mobilised quickly around talking about Palestinian food and thinking about how we can use food as a language for change, and talk about change so far away from Palestine,” she told The National.

Many of the capital's bakeries, including E5 Bakehouse in London Fields, have been hosting special events to raise awareness of the Palestinian cause since the war began on October 7, 2023, she added. The Palestinian-run Bunhead Bakery in the south London suburb of Dulwich donated the kunafa, a cheese-based dessert, for the iftar on Sunday in Hackney Wick in the east of the city.

“It’s so special to be able to feed so many people under one roof, at such a holy time of the month for some, and being together,” Ms Puthussery said.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas ended last week with a series of Israeli air strikes on Gaza, in which the Health Ministry estimates more than 800 Palestinians have been killed and a new blockade established.

MAP’s community and challenge events manager Zahra Yassine, who helped organised the event, said the charity’s activities in Gaza were relying on supplies brought in during the six-week period before aid channels were cut off.

“At least we were getting aid in during that time,” she said. "Once it was announced that the aid was going to start to be blocked, it was a really hard time, especially at the MAP office."

News of Israel's targeting of Nasser Hospital in Gaza – where some MAP staff were stationed – began trickling through during the iftar evening.

Many at the event are frustrated by the UK government's response to the war, echoing growing criticism from key ministers. Foreign Secretary David Lammy set a new precedent when he said Israel had broken international law last week with its decision to impose a new blockade, before backtracking to say it "appeared clear" it had breached the rules.

“There’s a lot of mixed feelings with a lot of the stuff the government says,” said Conor Sinnot, a guest at the event. "There are always going to be feelings of mistrust."

Across the city on the same evening, Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan hosted an iftar fundraising event at his restaurant Akub, near Ladbroke Grove, West London, billed as an evening of "food, reflection and community."

At events such as these, some in attendance have shared feelings of frustration at UK institutions that give their support to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and attempts to curtail protests in support of Palestinians.

Iftars around the UK - in pictures

“When the international community shuts you out and is silent, we need to be with people who understand and who will have these kinds of conversations,” said Noor Peracha, community engagement officer at MAP. “That’s why we turn to community, that’s why events like this are so important."

Sunday evening's iftar ended with a masterclass in dabke, a traditional Palestinian dance often enjoyed at weddings, by Zeina Ramadan, who co-founded Dabke Gathers, a group of Palestinians who teach in London parks and at events as a way of raising awareness of the Palestinian cause.

Ms Ramadan, from Nablus in the occupied West Bank, said she has struggled to get her peers in London understand the daily challenges of life in the Palestinian territories. “How do you explain those details of a checkpoint and how people live their lives day by day under occupation?” she said.

She relies on these gatherings to meet those who share an understanding of the situation. “It’s good to see people show up from different [walks] of life. You feel like you’re not the only one going through this hard time,” she said.

Shane O'Neil, a biomedical scientist in London researching cancer treatment, was among the guests. "It's an opportunity to sit down with people of all faiths, and none, in solidarity with people in Palestine" he said. By attending he hoped to help raise funds for people suffering on the ground in Gaza, he added..

Mr O'Neill went to Gaza in 1998 as a student to visit his university roommate's family in Beit Hanoun. The memories from the trip drive him to be vocal about the Palestinian issue today, and join marches in London for the cause. "No matter what the politicians say or do, the people is where solidarity sits, and you see that on the street," he said.

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