Brussels Air Puts Halva Back

The flap between Brussels Airlines and the Israeli Foreign Ministry over a halva snack came to an end on Monday as the airline announced that it would put the item back on its menu.

The halva had been removed following a complaint that it was manufactured in the Shomron, prompting allegations that the carrier had bowed to the boycott of Israel. However, Brussels Airlines denied the charge, insisting that the halva had never been ordered from the supplier in the first place, and was removed when the error was discovered.

On Monday, Brussels Airlines wrote to Simona Frankel, Israel’s ambassador in Belgium:

“It is clear that Achva [the Israeli producer] remains one of the suppliers with which we willingly work — without any distinction where they come from. Therefore we will continue to receive the company’s products and put them in our flight schedule, especially in light of the fact that [Achva] does important work in the community.”

The airline decision came after reportedly enormous pressure from the Israeli foreign office through its embassies in Brussels and Berlin. (Brussels Airlines belongs to the Lufthansa group.)