Last week we told of how the Association of Lebanese Industrialists planned to sue Israel over what it sees as the theft of its national dish - hummus.

This week, the Israelis hit back. Israeli hummus-seller Itzchak Rachmo told The Independent: "Because they [the Lebanese] can't create planes and guns and atomic weapons, they are trying to latch on to something so stupid."

Even the Palestinians are backing the Israelis on this one. Jerusalem hummus-seller Abu Shukri said the foods were part of the whole of the Levant and not just Lebanon.

However, this did not mean he was a fan of Israeli hummus. "They stole our land, they also steal our hummus."

Maybe he should think about a lawsuit.