Palestine's first Octoberfest in Taybeh

[Englander]

Maureen Clare Murphy, The Electronic Intifada, 1 October 2005

There's a first time for everything, and this weekend it was Palestine's first Octoberfest-styled beer festival, held in Taybeh village. Excited local boy scouts and townspeople mixed with foreigners who had made the pilgrimage to the Biblical city of Ephraim, and the entertainment was geared towards all parties - children's performances, live music, and, of course, Taybeh beer.

Taybeh's second claim to fame, apart from its visit by Jesus before he traveled to Jerusalem, is its brewery - the only one in Palestine, and one of only a handful in the Arab Middle East. Taybeh's owner Nadim Khoury opened the brewery after being away from Palestine for some 25 years. After the Oslo Accords were signed, like many other Palestinians living abroad, he returned to invest in his home country. And while the number of families supported by the brewery has dwindled from twelve to five, reflecting Palestine's larger economic collapse from the last several years of increased Israeli belligerency, the Taybeh brewery works to set an example for other Palestinian businesses.

By all accounts, it is so far a success. Because of the difficulties of exporting due to high Jordanian taxes and the Israeli occupation, its market is largely local. And it boasts about half of the market - and the competition is imported beer such as Heineken, rather than Israeli microbrews Maccabee and Gold Star. A member of the Khoury family, who gave visitors a tour of the factory, said that there is even a Tel Aviv restaurant that sells Taybeh as its house beer, but not with the Taybeh label, as it's a Palestinian product.

Though Palestine is 90 percent Muslim, Taybeh beer is popular, and is brewed and bottled twice a week at 5,000 bottles per hour. It is the first Palestinian product to be franchised in another country (Germany) - and it is also sold in the UK.

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The Electronic Intifada

[leveymg]

1. Were they also eating schnitzel and wurst? n/t