It has all the trappings of Oktoberfest – liters upon liters of beer, singing, dancing, and the occasional pair of lederhosen. The difference is that this beer festival doesn’t take place in Bavaria but in Palestine, in the midst of a relatively conservative Muslim society. The masterminds behind the festival is the Khoury family. In 1994, after the signing of the Oslo Accords, they opened Taybeh Brewery in Taybeh, a small village of 1500 inhabitants located a short drive from Ramallah. based in the only remaining Christian village in Palestine, it was the first microbrewery in the Middle East. Taybeh’s Oktoberfest is the only such festival in the whole region. The celebration is modeled after the original in Munich, but with a local flavor. Alongside sampling a number of the brewery’s varieties, visitors can snack on falafel and baklava, or buy produce from the community’s farmers, such as the famed Palestinian olive oil, local za’atar and honey. Popular Palestinian acts entertain a lively crowd of locals, tourists, foreigners working in the area and Israeli Arabs. The cancellation of last year’s Oktoberfest following the war in Gaza is a reminder that not is all as pleasant as it seems in this bucolic setting. The brewery’s owners have complained of water shortages since the construction of a settlement nearby, and of high customs costs to get their product to Israeli ports. While Taybeh is only 40 kilometers from Jerusalem, where tensions have been rising in recent months, Oktoberfest presents a good opportunity to have a glass of beer and forget about the conflict, at least for now.
Oktoberfest in Palestine
Oktoberfest in Palestine
It has all the trappings of Oktoberfest – liters upon liters of beer, singing, dancing, and the occasional pair of lederhosen. The difference is that this beer festival doesn’t take place in Bavaria but in Palestine, in the midst of a relatively conservative Muslim society. The masterminds behind the festival is the Khoury family. In 1994, after the signing of the Oslo Accords, they opened Taybeh Brewery in Taybeh, a small village of 1500 inhabitants located a short drive from Ramallah. based in the only remaining Christian village in Palestine, it was the first microbrewery in the Middle East. Taybeh’s Oktoberfest is the only such festival in the whole region. The celebration is modeled after the original in Munich, but with a local flavor. Alongside sampling a number of the brewery’s varieties, visitors can snack on falafel and baklava, or buy produce from the community’s farmers, such as the famed Palestinian olive oil, local za’atar and honey. Popular Palestinian acts entertain a lively crowd of locals, tourists, foreigners working in the area and Israeli Arabs. The cancellation of last year’s Oktoberfest following the war in Gaza is a reminder that not is all as pleasant as it seems in this bucolic setting. The brewery’s owners have complained of water shortages since the construction of a settlement nearby, and of high customs costs to get their product to Israeli ports. While Taybeh is only 40 kilometers from Jerusalem, where tensions have been rising in recent months, Oktoberfest presents a good opportunity to have a glass of beer and forget about the conflict, at least for now.