According to Gil Marks, which refugees popularized pita falafel in 1950s Israel?

According to Gil Marks, Jewish Yemeni refugees popularized pita falafel in 1950s Israel.

Falafel was already known in the region, but its place in Israeli street-food culture developed gradually after Israel’s independence in 1948. Marks links the popularization of the pita sandwich specifically to Jewish Yemeni refugees who arrived in the early years of the state and brought food traditions from Yemen and the wider Middle East.

The timing matters because falafel became especially practical during Israel’s early period of austerity and rationing. It was inexpensive, filling, portable, and made from broadly available ingredients. Stuffing the fried patties into pita made the food convenient for workers and commuters, helping turn it into a recognizable fast-food format.

A common mix-up is confusing the popularization of the Israeli pita sandwich with the origin of falafel itself. Falafel is generally traced to Egypt, where fava-bean versions remain especially common; chickpea-based falafel became more typical in the Levant. There is also an earlier written reference: a 1939 Palestine Post article described falafels served in pita as street food, before the 1950s popularization Marks discusses.