Hi Thomas,
>>I was astonished to see that dishes are even given the same name: babaghanoush, homous, tahina, felafel, foul (the Egyptian variant of homous), tabouleh (specifically Lebanese) etc. etc. <<
Actually, much more Arabic loanwords are used in everyday's life.
BTW, if you happen to pass by there, you may want to visit the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art in Haifa (if haven't done yet). It is one of the best museums of Japanese art, at par with the largest American and European collections. Alas, they usually exhibit only a small fraction of the stuff they have.