Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, May - June 2001, page 98

Diplomatic Doings

 

U.S. Bent Over Backward for Kosher Israeli Leader

An article by Russell Cronkhite, executive chef at Blair House, the U.S. president’s official guest house, appeared in the Food section of The Washington Post of April 4, 2001 under the title “The Prime Minister Wants Sugar Pops.” The following is an excerpt:

“Preparations for the state visit of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir in April 1989 brought many challenges. He and members of his coalition government came here to discuss peace in the Middle East with President George Bush. We had to observe kosher rules, use only kosher foods and prepare all meals under rabbinical supervision.

“We had to have separate sets of dishes for meat meals and dairy meals, all washed in separate dishwashers. We also had to separate meat from dairy in separate refrigerators and use separate ovens and stoves to cook each.

“Another challenge, because Blair House is not a kosher home, was bringing the entire complex up to ceremonial standards before the guests arrived. So beginning several days before the visit, we scrubbed our already spotless kitchen until you could literally eat off the floor. All silverware was boiled. Since plastic and wood cannot be made kosher once they are contaminated, we had to buy new cutting boards, knives and plastic storage containers and cover the wooden edges of the countertops in our pantries with aluminum foil. Our toasters could not be used at all. And the inside of each oven and every pot had to be cleaned by a rabbi—using a blowtorch!

“Not all events at Blair House are formal…After days of rich foods and five-course meals wouldn’t you just want a small cup of soup or simple salad to tide you over?

“For Jordan’s King Hussein that meant an all-American hamburger. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto…loved Sugar Pops for breakfast. Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak liked to keep a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches on hand for late night snacks…”

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