Falafel grew to become a common form of street food or fast food in Egypt as well as the Levant.[16] The croquettes are regularly eaten as part of meze. During Ramadan, falafel balls are sometimes eaten as part of the iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast after sunset.[7] Falafel became so popular that McDonald's for a time served a "McFalafel" in its breakfast menu all over Egypt.[17] Falafel is still popular with the Copts, who cook large volumes during religious holidays.[18] Debates over the origin of falafel have sometimes devolved into political discussions about the relationship between Arabs and Israelis.[13] In modern times, falafel has been considered a national dish of Egypt,[19]Palestine,[20][21] and of Israel.[22][23] Resentment exists amongst many Palestinians for what they see as the appropriation of their dish by Israelis.[24]Additionally, the Lebanese Industrialists' Association has raised assertions of copyright infringement against Israel concerning falafel.[13][14][25]
Falafel plays an iconic role in Israeli cuisine and is widely considered to be the national dish of the country.[24] While falafel is not a specifically Jewish dish, it was eaten by Mizrahi Jews in their countries of origin.[26][13] Later, it was adopted by early Jewish immigrants to Palestine.[24] Due to its being entirely plant based, it is considered pareve under Jewish dietary laws and gained acceptance with Jews because it could be eaten with meat or dairy meals.[27]
In 2012, one of the hotels in the capital of Jordan, Amman, prepared the world's largest Falafel disc weighing about 75 kg – breaking the previous record set at a Jewish food festival in the United States.[
