In the Belly of the Whale

Renowned journalist Ruth Margalit revisits 10 profiles of Israeli politicians, cultural figures, and iconoclasts spanning a decade of her reporting for The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine to create a powerful mosaic of the clashing forces that have led to Israel's current state. To live in Israel today, Margalit writes, is to be either a whale or a Jonah-trying to make do in the belly of the whale. The profiles in this collection represent both: outsiders trying to make a life in a system designed against them, and insiders hatching plans and amassing power all while riding the twin waves of populism and jingoism. Returning to these profiles from her current reality as a writer and mother living in Tel Aviv at a time of war, Margalit reexamines the texts in light of a transformed society and self, adding new updates and insights to journalistic portraits she has created over the course of a dozen years. Incorporating perspectives of Israelis from all strata of society-Jews, Arabs, activists, artists, politicians, and academics alike-Margalit stitches an enlightening patchwork to help readers better understand the seemingly inscrutable politics of a nation in which so many have a deep and abiding interest.

Ruth Margalit is a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine and The New Yorker. Her book reviews and essays also frequently appear in The New York Review of Books. Born and raised in Jerusalem, she studied History and English Literature at Tel Aviv University, and attended Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. She worked on the editorial staff of The New Yorker before moving back to Israel in 2019. She is the author of a forthcoming children's book (in Hebrew), and lives and writes in Tel Aviv.