{"product_id":"in-the-belly-of-the-ruth-margalit-9781586424602","title":"In the Belly of the Whale: Portraits from a Fractured Israel","description":"\u003cb\u003e10 portraits of Israelis from all backgrounds, depicting the war-torn landscape of recent Israeli history: complicated, polarized, lively, argumentative, and--increasingly--adrift. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Captures the personal within the political, offering rare insight.\" -- \u003ci\u003eUnholy\u003c\/i\u003e podcast, hosted by Yonit Levi and Jonathan Freedland \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRenowned journalist Ruth Margalit revisits 10 profiles of Israeli politicians, cultural figures, and iconoclasts spanning a decade of her reporting for \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e to create a powerful mosaic of the clashing forces that have led to Israel's current state. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTo 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eReturning 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIncorporating 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ruth Margalit\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1586424602\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781586424602\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Steerforth Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/22\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.81lbs","brand":"Ruth Margalit","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48801201193215,"sku":"9781586424602","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/in-the-belly-of-the-ruth-margalit-9781586424602","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}