Even hummus and falafel (mashed and fried dishes made from chickpeas), two traditional Arab dishes which over time have also become popular in Israel, will be able to bear the mark of a registered product with protected origins, like Italian parmesan and Greek feta.

This announcement was made by the president of the Lebanese industrial association Fadi Abbud, who was quoted this morning by the Beirut press, "We are working to register all the traditional dishes and ingredients of our cuisine to prevent Israel from stealing our typical culinary brands and selling them as their own all across the world," said Abbud.

"In addition to taking our land without having any right to it, Israelis are also trying to take away our culture and cuisine," added Abbud, who said that, "due to the supply on the Israeli market of falafel and hummus produced in Israel, in Lebanon we are losing tens of millions of dollars every year."

In the legal battle that Lebanon is preparing to wage against Israel, according to Beirut's daily paper an-Nahar, there may also be tabbouleh, the traditional, parsley-based middle-eastern salad.