Writer, translator, photographer. Essays on food, media and politics at my website, Eating an Island. Montreal/Cairo.
Montréal, Québec
Joined January 2024
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My writing on Palestine, a 🧵
I’ve been writing on this since the fall – in fact, it’s been hard to focus on anything else.
“What We Talk about When We Talk about Food Security” – on Gaza, poverty and neoliberal "moves to innocence".
eatinganisland.com/p/what-we… – at St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
There is no longer any meaningful media coverage of what is happening in Gaza! After Israel deliberately killed journalists and destroyed most media institutions and news channels, the truth has been silenced, and reporting what is happening here has become an extremely dangerous task, almost impossible to carry out.
We are trying, with every ounce of strength we have, to bring the world the reality of what we endure every single day: bombardment, targeted attacks, displacement, starvation, and horrific massacres. We are trying to document what is happening and keep Gaza's voice alive, despite the enormous dangers surrounding us،
But the most terrifying reality is that we now fear for our lives simply for filming what is happening, publishing a news report, or exposing a crime to the world! We no longer fear bombardment alone; we have also come to fear that telling the truth itself could cost us our lives،
Only a few of us remain, still trying to make Gaza's voice heard around the world. That is why we urgently appeal to you: please do not abandon us. Share our social media accounts as widely as possible.
These accounts are not merely social media pages; they are our last remaining voices and our only window through which we can show the world the killing, destruction, starvation, massacres, and genocide we are enduring.
DO NOT ALLOW OUR VOICES TO BE SILENCED. DO NOT LET THE TRUTH BE BURIED ALONGSIDE THOSE WHO RISK THEIR LIVES TO REPORT IT. HELP US MAKE GAZA'S VOICE HEARD AROUND THE WORLD BEFORE WE LOSE THE LAST PLATFORMS WE HAVE TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING.
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
"Forty-one per cent of respondents aged 18-34 said they skipped meals, 10 percentage points higher than the average, and 23 per cent said they accessed food supports."
globalnews.ca/news/12134303/…
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
FINAL ELECTION PREDICTION: the wicked Amerikkkan regime will continue to immiserate the human race worldwide
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
The Israelis agreed to let 600 trucks a day. In reality, only a small percentage has made it in. This graphic helps put into perspective the continued Israelis intential denial of basic, life-sustaining products to the people of Gaza.
Israel orders a complete closure of the Rafah crossing, blocking aid, fuel and cooking gas from entering Gaza, citing alleged smuggling and “interference,” with no evidence reported. Gaza’s media office says only 20.3 percent of agreed aid trucks entered in October.
qudsnen.com/share/68559?lang…
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
I beg you, please don’t scroll past my family. 💔
I’m a father of four in Gaza. I’ve lost my income, exhausted my savings, and I’m struggling to put food on the table.
I never imagined I’d have to beg strangers to help feed my children.
Please help us get through this. 🙏❤️
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
Khan younis is terrifying, targeting has not stopped since the morning. Movement is difficult. The internet is bad. I hope our voices from Gaza reach you because this feels like the end.
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
Montreal man pleads guilty to stabbing pregnant wife to death in 2024 ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/…
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
You probably don’t know this man, but you should.
Throughout the genocidal war, he devoted his time and energy to fighting the drug trade in Gaza, which was supported by Israel. Just a few days ago, Israel killed him by bombing his vehicle while he was on a mission to seize a shipment of drugs.
Israel bombed his home and killed his children (Ahmed 11& Rasha 10) yet he never gave up. He continued to resist in his own way.
After everything he endured, he remained a man of extraordinary courage, integrity, and determination.
His name was Arafat Alareer!
For 15 years, I had the privilege of knowing him. He was one of the finest men I have ever known.
May he rest in peace after years of tireless dedication and immense sacrifice.
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
Israel occupies Syria by agreement with Turkey.
Israel occupies
Lebanon by agreement with Lebanon's appointed government.
Israel occupies West Bank by agreement with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.
Israel genocides Gaza by agreement with Egypt.
Note that the issue is not food security – there's plenty of food in Toronto – but rather food poverty, a better term.
I wrote some essays in 2024 on how food security is a neoliberal term used to mystify the causes of inequality eg
eatinganisland.com/2024/01/1…
New studies link ultraprocessed food to cognitive problems, but growing food insecurity means many Torontonians have no other choice. thestar.com/life/health-well…
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
For Palestinians, there is no escape from Israel. Go to the West and wherever you go becomes Israel too.
Canada's special measures programs for Palestinians are among the most racist humanitarian programs in our history of migration and asylum policy. They were intentionally designed to fail by anti-Palestinian racists in Cabinet, in consultation with bigoted immigration and refugee lawyers who are in a clear conflict of interest. #cdnpoli #cdnpolitics
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
Why the secrecy?
The Montreal police refuse to name seven officers they're firing for racism and discrimination. It's not even clear what they did, and to whom cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/…
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
After 9,000 local news segments they finally made Perseverance Porn: The Movie. Odious anti-labor, anti human propaganda
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
“Stevens, in joining Rogers, has allied herself with this odious culture war, one that is itself tied to a very real war. The campaign of hate, of which El-Sayed is the latest victim, has a simple goal: to render Muslims and Arabs more killable.”
"Haley Stevens’s defection from the Democratic vote isn’t a story about party intrigue. It is a story about Stevens waking up and choosing violence. In supporting Mike Rogers, she has allied herself with an odious culture war in the US, tied to the very real war in Gaza,” writes Ta-Nehisi Coates. vanityfair.visitlink.me/4IcJ…
Jon Randell Smith retweeted
I’ve been in France for 10 days to cover the protests.
After having lived in France for 3 years in the 90s, I don’t recognize this country anymore.
France has become a police state.
In none of my three trips to Iran in the past 18 months did I see anything like this.
