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Jordan’s Kosher Eatery Changes Menu

September 22, 1995
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The Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty signed last October has not borne fruit for at least one Jordanian.

The first, and only, kosher restaurant in Amman has closed its doors and will soon reopen with a non-kosher menu devoted to Lebanese food.

The owner of the Istanbul Restaurant, Khaled Mohammed Al-Hindi, blamed the failure of his venture into kosher food on his Israeli partners, local hostility and a lack of customers.

In New York, however, a spokesman for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, said the restaurant was not properly certified as kosher.

Though Israeli tourists have flooded Jordan since the two countries signed their historic peace treaty, Hindi said the 110-seat restaurant was nearly empty since opening in June.

He reportedly lost up to $14,000 in the enterprise, and accused his three Israeli partners of not living up to their side of the bargain.

One of the Israelis, Pinchas Sela, countered by denying that the partners had not paid their financial obligations.

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