In the Belly of the Whale
Portraits from a Fractured Israel
Translated by Markus Lemke
LITERARY NON-FICTION
Altneuland Press, September 2026 - German and Hebrew
Pushkin Press in collaboration with Altneuland Press - September 2026 - English
“In the Belly of the Whale” is a striking portrait of a country in turmoil. Through a finely drawn social tapestry, author Ruth Margalit reveals a multifaceted, deeply polarized society standing at an existential crossroads and struggling to define itself.
The renowned journalist presents ten groundbreaking portraits of Israeli politicians, social figures, and dissidents, which she has written over the past decade for the New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine. Together, these portraits form a sober yet deeply human mosaic of the conflicting forces that have led Israel to its current, fractured state.
In revisiting these portraits, Margalit engages with her earlier journalistic work and adds unflinching new insights to her analyses of the past decade. By weaving together the perspectives of activists and academics, politicians and social icons, settlers and secularists, she paints an insightful psychological sketch of a nation.
This unique account is not only a brilliant piece of journalism but also an indispensable guide through the complex social and political divisions of a country that continues to defy simple categorization.
Contact Altneuland for worldwide rights: info@altneuland-press.com
ביקורות
“Ruth Margalit takes us deep into Israeli society—to a place where its contradictions are no longer abstract but take on human faces, where ideologies are inscribed in people’s life stories. In Margalit’s vivid portraits, we encounter a wide variety of people who fascinate, unsettle, and sometimes even disturb or impress us. It is only when viewed side by side that these portraits reveal their full significance and paint a multifaceted picture of the country. Written after October 7, 2023, in the shadow of war and moral upheaval, "In the Belly of the Whale" is far more than a mere report on Israel: It is a “composite portrait” of the country, a precise look into the DNA of a society that is teeming with life, yet at the same time is internally torn and increasingly disoriented. An indispensable read for anyone who wants to understand Israel.”
Meron Mendel and Saba-Nur Cheema
Book Details
Translator:
Markus Lemke
Cover Designer:
Talia Baer
Book Editor:
Julia Nauhaus
Year of Publishing:
2026
ISBN:
978-3-9828468-0-4
Number of Pages:
320