Zeead Yaghi
Dignity and Access | On Food and Power
Zeead Yaghi
Back during the end of history, Thomas Friedman presented his “Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention” in a 1996 New York Times op-ed. As he put it, “no two countries that both have a McDonald’s have ever fought a war against each other.” There was “no question,” he declared, that McDonald’s “is part of this worldwide phenomenon of countries integrating with the global economy and submitting to its rules.” Today,...
Repackaged Nostalgia | The Dubaification of Beirut
Zeead Yaghi
Em Sherif, a high-end restaurant in Beirut, recently opened a more casual outpost that, according to its Emirates-based controlling shareholder ADMO Lifestyle Holding, “offers a modern and vibrant take on Lebanese cuisine” that’s rooted in “authentic flavors.” The most popular menu item seems to be an expensive sandwich that reimagines a classic Lebanese appetizer: slices of heirloom tomato are dressed with garlic sauce, sumac, green chili, spring onion, and olive...
Theater of Warning | Living Through Israel’s Attacks on Lebanon
Zeead Yaghi
The airstrikes came like clockwork. Every day between September 19 and November 26, the Israeli Defense Force’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted a series of “warnings” on X, mapping that night’s planned attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Targeted buildings were colored in red, and the accompanying messages instructed residents to evacuate. Adraee’s announcements were highly descriptive. Often, he used colloquial or informal names of streets and buildings, and included details...
