Israel Matzav

In Cairo, the sweetest dates are named Obamas

In Cairo, merchants have taken to naming their dates after politicians, with the politicians' popularity being ascertained by the price of the dates. The sweetest dates, priced at 25 Egyptian pounds ($4.50) per kilo, are the Obamas (pictured at top left).

Dates are a traditional food for Ramadan — which begins Saturday in most of the Islamic world — since the Prophet Muhammad is said to have used them to break the month's sunrise-to-sunset fast each evening.

In Egypt, shops have created a new tradition of naming their best and worst dates to catch attention and boost sales — giving a little reflection of the political mood.

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"We love Obama and so we named our best dates for him," said Atif Hashim at his busy shop in downtown Cairo.

Huge barrels in his shop were piled with "Obama" dates, selling for just under $2.50 a pound ($5 a kilogram). For an additional dollar, there is an even better date, labeled on a sign as "Super Obama."

"We put a sweet date in Mr. Obama's mouth and a message in his ear," Hashim said. "Please help to bring peace to the world. We have a lot of hope in you."

Hashim named his poorer dates after Israeli Foreign Minister Avidgor Lieberman, a hard-liner who is particularly disliked in Egypt for once saying its president, Hosni Mubarak, can "go to hell."

Other low-quality dates were named after Lieberman's predecessor, Tzipi Livni, and after Bush. They all go for about 17 cents a pound (36 cents a kilogram).

And look whom Obama is following in this fine tradition:

In 2006, many sellers in Egypt named their best dates after the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, whose popularity soared among Arabs because his militants battled Israel in a devastating war that summer.

I will try not to think about this as we eat our dates on Rosh HaShanna next month. Alternatively, I may name our best dates Feiglins, Palins, Huckabees, and if he behaves himself until then, Yaalons.

Heh.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:47 PM