Portrait by John Allen
One Plate for Palestine: ‘Every act of resistance matters’
From July 22-27, One Plate for Palestine is bringing Irish restaurants together in support of the people of Palestine. We speak with the organisers, Barbara and Beverley, about channeling their sense of hopelessness into something positive.
As the atrocities rage on in Palestine, individual action can feel somewhat futile, but it’s initiatives like One Plate for Palestine that remind us of how important it is to come together with a united voice to show support and solidarity.
Spearheaded by Barbara Nealon of St Francis Provisions and Beverley Mathews of L’Atitude 51, the fundraiser campaign invites Irish food and hospitality businesses to add a special Palestinian-themed dish to their menu, with all funds raised from the sale of that dish going towards the people of Palestine who are at risk of starvation.
“We spent the past year feeling hopeless—and guilty—it’s hard working in an industry whose existence is based on feeding and providing enjoyment to people through food, while a whole community is struggling to feed their families,” Beverley tells us. “Since the start of the year when the situation really deteriorated in Gaza, it just became too hard not to do anything.”
Barbara felt the same: “This is keeping people awake at night, the torture of watching a genocide live streamed on our phones, feeling helpless, feeling like nobody is listening, feeling shut down. It’s important to know that every act of resistance matters, and we are not helpless. We must act. We cannot leave everything up to our politicians. We can make a difference.”
Inspired by initiatives like Coffee for Palestine and actions taken by the Teachers’ Unions, the pair put their heads together and saw the hospitality industry for what it is: a huge platform with a wide reach and a voice that matters.
“Everyone has their favourite restaurant, café, bar, pub, food truck, market stall – so why not use those connections to reach as many people as possible,” they explain. “We knew it could be even more powerful if we encouraged prominent chefs, restaurateurs, mixologists, food writers and producers to get on board, and so far the reaction has been better than we could have hoped.”
The concept of One Plate for Palestine is to invite the entire country to cook together to help feed Palestine, following some simple guidelines: create a dish to add to your menu using a selection of Palestinian ingredients, such as za’atar, sumac, labneh, Palestinian olives or Palestinian olive oil.
There’s also the option to serve up their suggested dish, Prátaí do Phalaistín, a simple, delicious yet highly symbolic combination that brings together two food cultures to illustrate the strong bonds between Palestine and Ireland. It’s a plate of new season Irish potatoes served up with any or all of the following: Palestinian Za’atar, Sumac, Labneh, Hummus, Palestinian Olive Oil, Palestinian Olives.
As Beverley puts it: “We all have a responsibility to use our voices, to stand up for what is right. We are in a privileged position to be part of an industry with a strong platform. Food brings people together, and by joining forces with our fellow food businesses, we amplify that voice and can really make a difference and share hope with the people of Palestine. By using our skills and our reach to amplify the genocide in Gaza, we are showing up for the People of Palestine and for ourselves, our children and our humanity.”
The goal is to raise at least €25,000 for NGOs, charities and projects working on the ground in Gaza, such as Gaza Go Bragh, TEA Collective, World Central Kitchen, all reputable charities that have been doing incredible work to bring fresh water and meals to the people of Gaza in extremely challenging conditions. Any Irish eatery can register to take part in One Plate for Palestine here.
Portrait of Barbara Nealon and Beverley Mathews by John Allen.
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