An Arab-owned and operated microbrewery in the Christian hilltop village Taybeh in Yesha (Judea and Samaria) has inaugurated a new offering. Green label. Printed in Arabic. Non-alcoholic. It's aimed straight at Hamas.



But there have been problems in Gaza. Gang members burned down one of its distribution outlets, and effectively outlawed selling alcohol. Taybeh stopped being sold there. Enter Taybeh Green Label.

The Arab populace in Judea and Samaria is possibly up to 90 percent Islamic, and Islam forbids alcohol. But that hasn't stopped a microbrewery located in Taybeh from selling loads to upscale pubs and restaurants in the seat of political power in the Palestinian Authority (PA), Ramallah. It's considered a relatively upper shelf beer also in eastern parts of Jerusalem. It is also sold, according to Wikipedia, in Europe. The new beverage is a German-style brew, and produced in the only brewery in Yesha. That has not stopped the company from hosting its own little Octoberfest.

But there have been problems in Gaza. Gang members burned down one of its distribution outlets, and effectively outlawed selling alcohol. Taybeh beer stopped being sold there.

Enter Taybeh Green Label. As the more fundamentalist Islamist Hamas garnered increased support in the past PA elections in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, and executed a military coup in Gaza, the Taybeh brewery adapted. Green Taybeh is non-alcoholic. And it matches the Hamas flag color.

Most of Taybeh's offerings are labeled clearly in English. Not the new one, however, which is labeled in Arabic. A Hamas-friendly product fit to knock back among terrorist organization extremists, or underage drinkers. Taybeh's owner hopes to be able to sell his beer in Gaza without having to smuggle it. There've been times he's had to smuggle it even to Ramallah.

The owner, Nadim Khoury, became a microbrew enthusiast as a student in Boston, in the United States, where he lived for 23 years. He's originally from Taybeh, and came home to invest his family's fortune of over a million dollars into the brewing business just after the Oslo Accords were signed. He's 50 years old.

By the way, "Taybeh," Khoury explains, is Arabic for "delicious."