God at Arm’s Length
Yiftach Ashkenazi
In her new book "Figuring Jerusalem: Politics and Poetics in the Sacred Center," literary scholar Sidra DeKoven Ezrahi calls attention to the dangers of assigning God a particular geographic space. An interview.
Going Underground
Michael Press
Yet another book on Jerusalem's archaeology unhealthily focuses on its past at the expense of its present.
Sledgehammer or Boomerang?
Michael Koplow
Trump's ambassador's pride at rebooting America's previous Middle East policy may set an unwelcome trend that even he might end up ruing.
“New Hope and Yamina are not right-wing”
Olga Kirschbaum-Shirazki
An interview with the journalist and commentator Laly Derai about the future of the Israeli right.
Personal, Professional and National
Ettya Barnhart-Magen
A new book exploring the emotional inheritance of trauma subtly demonstrates its impact on both the national and personal story.
Cries of a Beloved Country
Avraham Burg
The former director of Breaking the Silence has written a moving memoir that is a wake-up call for Israeli society.
Who Does She Think She Is?
Einat Wilf
The new memoir by former Breaking the Silence director Yuli Novak is simplistic and solipsistic in equal measure.
How Much Time is Left is Not a Question but a Door
Israel Eliraz Liat Simon
A selection of English translations of work by the late Israeli poet Israel Eliraz.
The Disappointments Committed in Hope’s Name
Lily Shehady
The first English translations of Palestinian poet Maya Abu Al-Hayyat take the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions anchored in truth.
Those Who Heard the Voice of the Dove
Asael Abelman
A new essay collection draws attention to hitherto neglected Sephardic and Mizrahi Zionist leaders
Beyond the Four Quarters
Alex Stein
A new book about Jerusalem's Old City shatters some sacred cows while perpetuating others.
Post-Translation: Between the Bi-National and Dialogic
Ohad Zeltzer Zubida
Two recent books by Yehouda Shenhav provide a radical vision for the future of translation.
Why Are They Leaving?
John Munayer
A new book offers a useful overview of the story of the Christian departure from the Middle East, while neglecting some of its key causes.
Who By Fire
Matti Friedman
An exclusive excerpt from Matti Friedman's new book about Leonard Cohen's tour of Israeli army bases during the Yom Kippur War.
A Sentimental Stroll Down Ramban Straße
Arie M. Dubnov
A new book attempts to capture the spirit of 'German Jerusalem': A neighborhood in the holy city that, following the rise of Nazism, became a hub of German-Jewish intelligentsia.
The Splendor of Cities
Yaser Abu Areesha
A personal assessment of the Palestinian situation following the tumultuous events of 2021.
A New Era in Arab-Jewish Relations?
Raef Zreik
The United Arab List's participation in Israel's ruling coalition represents Israel's preference for indirect rule over full citizenship when dealing with its Palestinian citizens.
A Typology of National Liberation Movements
Olga Kirschbaum-Shirazki
Why otherwise competent scholars get Zionism and Palestinian nationalism wrong.
In Search of a Lost Community
Yael Segev
In a new book, one of Israel's most prominent left-wing activist fails to convince with his critique of Religious Zionism.
From Adoration to Disillusionment
Yakov Z. Mayer
The story of how the Israeli literary community fell in and out of love with Nobel-winning author Olga Tokarczuk.
More Than Mere Gossip
Ariel Rodal-Spieler
Barak Ravid's book on the Abraham Accords provides a fascinating first-hand perspective of a historic episode.
1990/Who am I, what?
Alex Moshkin Arik Eber Zackary Sholem Berger
Two poems that use humor to revise the traditional narrative of Soviet Jews' triumphal arrival in Israel.
Departing from the Narrative
Avery Weinman
A new book about Jewish emigration from Palestine and Israel in the post-war period changes the Zionist concept of yeridah into a history of migration.
Shelter Shelter
Adi Sorek
A poetic exploration of the Tel Aviv University's shelter signs and the Talmudic Cities of Refuge.
Seeking Redemption: On Religious Anti-Occupation Politics
Joshua Leifer
In a new book, one of Israel's most prominent left-wing activists makes his case through a thousand years of Jewish scholarship.
A Question of Priorities
Abe Silberstein
Two ostensibly very different books shine an illuminating light on debates surrounding Palestinian political goals and identity.
The Bible: Alive and Kicking
Yael Unterman
The Bibliodrama method brings the Bible alive for 21st Century Israeli and Diaspora Jews.
Fighting Covid: The Israeli Doctrine
Arieh Kovler
A deep dive into how Israel has fought COVID-19, how it has fought it differently from other countries, and what the results of its struggle have been.
A People’s History of 1948
Yaël Mizrahi-Arnaud
Three recent studies enrich the historiography of the 1948 War and its aftermath, by moving away from state-centered policies and focusing on the lived experiences of ordinary individuals.
Keystein Cops
Nathan Abrams
How do televisual-cinematic representations of Israeli policemen (and women) compare to those of their Mossad counterparts?
If Only Sally Rooney Understood How Israeli Publishing Works
Yiftach Ashkenazi
The Irish novelist's decision not to publish her latest novel with an Israeli publisher reveals her fundamental ignorance about the actual relationship between Israeli literature, the Israeli establishment, and the Occupation.
Welcome to the British Dominion of Israel
Tal Kra-Oz
A new novel boldly attempts to pad out Israel's meager counterfactual bookshelf. But a romantic fascination with the country's pre-state period is not enough to sustain a solid piece of alternate history, a genre with its own set of rules.
The Third Temple
Ari Hoffman
Ari Shavit's new book, Bayit Shlishi, asks the right questions about Israel's future but fails to offer compelling answers.
Aquarium
Todd Hasak-Lowy Yaara Shehori
An excerpt from Yaara Shehori's new novel about the relationship between two deaf sisters.
Nehemyah
Oded Even Or Yakov Z. Mayer
An exclusive English translation of the 2020 Sapir Prize-shortlisted novel about a man's search for the reputed messiah Sabbatai Tzvi.
“I have a good memory because I’m too weak to forget”
Shachar Pinsker
A new English selection of Avrom Sutskever's essential prose reveals the fascinating tension between the great Yiddish writer's Israeli present and his East European past.
Elisha Appears Again
Yardenne Greenspan Yonat Rum
An exclusive English translation of Yonat Rum's tale of loss, survival and memory, winner of Haaretz newspaper's 2018 short story contest.
Too Good to be True?
Yaniv Feller
The new, pluralistic permanent exhibit at the Museum of the Jewish People feels increasingly at odds with its surroundings.
Cities without a Country
Ian Black
A new book and a new documentary film offer a profoundly insightful and thought-provoking snapshot of the many troubling uncertainties faced by Palestinians in 2021.
Different Kinds of Silence
Reut Ben-Yaakov
The surprising parallels in the lives and poetry of Natan Zach and Aharon Almog, and their place in Israeli literary history.
Set Me Free
Lina Rose
Mind-altering drugs, sexual fluidity, stealing the borders: the new Israeli children's novel that's breaking boundaries.
Yosef Haim Brenner in Life and Death
Jeffrey Saks S.Y. Agnon
A Hebrew literary giant's eulogy of another: An exclusive English translation of S.Y. Agnon's 'in memoriam' of Yosef Haim Brenner, upon the centenary of his murder.
The Manuscript
Ruby Namdar Yardenne Greenspan
An exclusive English translation of a new short story by Sapir Prize-winning novelist Ruby Namdar, set in 1970s Tel Aviv.
Distant Strains
Joanna Chen Sarai Shavit
A selection of English translations of work by the poet Sarai Shavit.
From Africa to Zion
Danny Adeno Abebe
An exclusive excerpt from the memoir of Israel's first Ethiopian-born journalist.
In Defense of Nationalism
Liat Natovich Koshizky
Yoram Hazony's new book provides a welcome defense of Herzl's sophisticated understanding of Zionism and its relevance today.
No True Nationalist
Yair Wallach
Yoram Hazony's latest book distorts Herzl's ideas to provide cover for the author's exclusivist nationalism.
“Everyone is responsible for the explosion.”
Jonathan Fine
A conversation with artist Rutu Modan about her 2020 graphic novel 'Tunnels', storytelling in comics, and the relationship between truth and ideology.
Meet the Yahus
Alex Stein
A new novel about Benjamin Netanyahu's father's time in America fails to live up to the delicious promise of its source material.
Entebbe, Tehran, Munich
Nathan Abrams
How cinematic depictions of the Mossad spy became a reflection of shifting attitudes towards the State of Israel.
An Abusive System
Janice Weizman
An interview with trailblazing Israeli feminist Elana Sztokman about her journey away from Orthodoxy.
Requiem for a War
Jonathan Spyer
The Syrian Civil War threw the country, as well as the entire region, into chaos and bloodshed. A new book attempts to sift through its tumultuous legacy.
A Critical Case
Liam Hoare
A new reissue of Batya Gur's oeuvre offers a welcome opportunity to revisit the founding mother of Israeli detective fiction.
Coronavirus and Intimacy
Yaki Sagi
While corona's impact on physical wellbeing is common knowledge, less has been written about its devastating impact on interpersonal relationships.
A-voiding the Void
Ella Elbaz
Three recent novels shed light on unexplored aspects of literary representations of Palestinian trauma.
The Fraternity of Traitors
Matan Kaminer
A new book about Matzpen places the revolutionary Israeli group in a global context but fails to encompass their true legacy.
Gamer Nation
Aaron Reich
As video games become more popular than ever, the Israeli gaming industry has begun to level up.
Catching the Sun
Mika Reichel
How Israel went from being a world leader in solar energy to playing catch-up with the rest of the world.
Concerning That Burning
Maayan Eitan Yael Statman
A selection of English translations of work by the poet Yael Statman.
Watching Hiam Abbass
Hannah Brown
How the rise in global TV networks sent a Palestinian-Israeli actress to international stardom.
Dutch Dreaming of Israel
Daan F. Oostveen
Why do the Dutch political parties have so much to say about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?
One Flew Over Gimmel Ward
Danna Harman
The closed ward at Geha hospital, one of Israel's most renowned psychiatric hospitals, is a microcosm of Israeli society.
The ‘R’
Yitzhak Lewis
A new documentary tells only part of the story of Rebbe Nahman's journey to the heart of mainstream Israeli culture.
The Great Israeli Novels
Jessica Cohen
A response to Haim Watzman's 'The NeverEnding Stories' from the Winter 2020 issue.
Intoxicating Zion
Haggai Ram
An excerpt from Haggai Ram's book about hashish in Mandatory Palestine and Israel.
Red Sea Spies
Raffi Berg
An excerpt from Raffi Berg's book about the true story of Mossad's fake diving resort in Sudan.
A Family Affair
Dahlia Scheindlin
Throughout Israel’s history, the question 'what do Israelis think' has evolved a great deal, not least because the question 'who are the Israelis' has changed dramatically over time.
The Chairmen
Calev Ben-Dor
Two recent books assess the successes and failures of Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas.
The NeverEnding Stories
Haim Watzman
Why are so many contemporary Israeli novels excruciatingly overlong?
Jerusalem’s New Historians
Dotan Halevy
Three new books make a persuasive case for reevaluating age-old historiographical conventions in the study of late Ottoman Palestine.
The Two Survivors
Taleen Babayan
A comprehensive survey of Israeli-Armenian relations in the shadow of the latest Nagorno-Karabakh War.
The Unshakeable One
Liam Hoare
Reflections on Amos Oz's final lecture and his relationship with Germany.
The New Mixed Cities
Afif Abu Much
Why are Arabs moving to largely Jewish cities, and how are they being received?
The Memory Monster
Yardenne Greenspan Yishai Sarid
An excerpt from Yishai Sarid's new novel about a historian who specializes in leading tours of concentration camps in Poland.
Brothers from Another Planet
Michael Berkowitz
Four new books revisit the great German-Jewish intellectuals of Interwar Jerusalem, inquiring on their legacy and ongoing relevance.
Preventing Peace
Abe Silberstein
Three new books argue that American policy has consistently failed the Palestinians and the wider cause of Middle Eastern rapprochement.
Derivative Imperial Nations
Olga Kirschbaum-Shirazki
A critique of how current discourses understand the reality of the Americas and the Middle East.
"Sometimes They Prayed Marxism"
Biti Roy
The little-known story of Rav Steinsaltz's involvement with the 'New Sanhedrin.'
From the Ghetto to the Mainstream/Scroll Down for Original Arabic
Linda Abdul Aziz Menuhin
The story of the inexorable rise of Arabic music in Israel.
Snowtrain
Tal Yacob Yardenne Greenspan
An excerpt from Tal Yacob's novel about a violent and sexual encounter between a male prostitute and an assassin.
Lisbon and Manila: Sites of Refuge During the Holocaust
Manuela Consonni
A review of two books on the plight, experiences, and emotions of Holocaust refugees.
The Excesses of French Jews/Scroll Down for Original in French
Noémie Issan-Benchimol
An analysis of two books on the place of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in French discourse and society.
Happy and Sad
Chaya Levy Maayan Eitan
A selection of English translations of work by the poet Chaya Levy.
Sudden Change or Gradual Transition?
Michael Press
A popular perception of the Arab conquest of Palestine as a period of violent transformation persists, despite archaeological evidence to the contrary.
What is Love? An Interview with Yaron Shani
Akin Ajayi
An intimate conversation with the acclaimed Israeli filmmaker.
Introducing Maayan Eitan
TARB editors
An interview with the newest member of the Tel Aviv Review of Books editorial team.
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall?
Jonathan Spyer
A new book argues for the historic significance of the Arab Spring. Does it succeed?
DJ CHRISTIAN NGO
Shani Boianjiu
Two reviews, separately written, on Colum McCann's new novel about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Only Language: Making New Worlds in Israel-Palestine
Sam Sussman
Two reviews, separately written, on Colum McCann's new novel about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Beyond Freedom of Speech
TARB editors
Reconsidering TARB's values in light of the New York Times Tom Cotton controversy.
What Happened to Us?
Arash Azizi
The story of the modern Middle East seen through the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The Woman Who Wasn’t
Illa Ben Porat Maayan Eitan
An excerpt from Illa Ben Porat's new novel about a detective investigating the case of a missing mother.
Known Unknowns: In Search of the Truth at Khirbet Qeiyafa and Masada
Alex Stein
Two new books attempt to get to the heart of archaeological mysteries from the Biblical and Second Temple periods.
Love: A Novel
Maayan Eitan
An excerpt from Maayan Eitan's new novel about a young prostitute in a Tel Aviv-like city.
Great Spirit Grant Me Vision
Sephy Geldzahler
The revival of interest among Israelis in the thought of Rav Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi AKA Manitou.
Who’s Looking at the Rhinoceros?
Yaara Shehori
An exclusive translation of Yaara Shehori's response to Assaf Inbari's Haaretz essay on autobiographical fiction.
The Scholar and the Activist
Moriel Rothman-Zecher
David Shulman between South Hebron and South India.
Banana Pita
Yuli Malka
How the story of the Russian aliyah is finally entering the Israeli mainstream.
The New Israeli Judaism
Elan Ezrahi
Two recent books describe the unique trajectory of Jewish life in Israel.
The Rake’s Progress
Benjamin Balint
In his latest book, one of Israel's most celebrated writers turns his attention to horticultural pursuits.
I’m Building a Gallows
Alex Moshkin Rita Kogan Zackary Sholem Berger
A selection of English translations of work by the poet Rita Kogan.
Our Strange Victory: Quarantine Reflections
Ben Hartman
What's it been like living in Israel during coronavirus, and how is the 'new normal' panning out?
The Road
TARB editors
How a classic piece of Israeli dystopian fiction shines a light on the current crisis.
Israel’s Potemkin War
Eeta Prince-Gibson
An interview with Haim Har-Zahav, author of 'Lebanon: The Lost War.'
The Prime Ministers: A Man – Neither Hercules nor Perfect
Joshua Sobol
The industrious life of David Ben-Gurion, Israel's founding father, reads like a polyphonic novel whose depths are never exhausted.
Madam Zona: A Memoir
Payam Feili Sara Khalili
An excerpt from Payam Feili's memoir about life as an Iranian asylum seeker in Israel.
Zionism + Concrete
Liam Hoare
Concrete was the material that built the State of Israel - its prevalence from Tel Aviv to Be’er Sheva to the kibbutz is an expression of Zionism itself.
Psychoanalysis & Kabbalah
Ruth Kara-Ivanov Kaniel
The conceptual threads connecting the two systems of thought.
Welcome to the Desert of the Real
Ioram Melcer
We’re used to saying that truth is stranger than fiction. But why does Israeli literature hold back from strangeness in both truth and fiction?
Between Three Circles
Guilherme Casaroes Monique Sochaczewski
Brazil's Middle East Policy from Collor to Bolonsaro.
Teaching the Conflict
Ari Blaff
Three publications show different approaches to teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict on campus.
The Drive
Jessica Cohen Yair Assulin
An excerpt from Yair Assulin's new novel, translated by Jessica Cohen.
Illuminating Brutal Details
Lonnie Monka Yonatan Berg
A selection of the first English translations of work by poet Yonatan Berg.
Stone Men
Alex Stein
The story of the role played by Palestinian stonemasons and construction workers in the building of Israel.
An Interview with Adeena Sussman
Rachel Barenbaum
An interview with Adeena Sussman about her new vibrant recipe book inspired by Tel Aviv's Carmel Market.
Israel Can Do Better: A 70-Year Report Card of Environmental Underachievement
Alon Tal
Despite showing huge early promise, Israel's environmental record is hugely disappointing. With the added threat of global warming, substantial action is needed.
Exile: Portraits of the Jewish Diaspora
Annika Hernroth-Rothstein
An excerpt from a new book examining some of the lesser-known Jewish communities around the world.
When Home Becomes a Foreign Land: Raja Shehadeh and Palestinian Freedom of Movement
Khaled Diab
Raja Shehadeh's new memoir opens up the world of Palestinian exile, both physical and metaphysical.
Our Men in Al Sham: An Interview with Seth Frantzman and Jonathan Spyer
Samuel Thrope
An interview with Seth Frantzman and Jonathan Spyer about their experiences reporting from Syria and Iraq.
Israeli Dance after Gaga
Dana Mills
Israeli dance is known mainly for the Batsheva Dance Company and Gaga, the movement language developed by its most famous offspring, Ohad Naharin. But many other performers and styles, no less intriguing, have grown in their shadow.
An Army of Letters
Tal Kra-Oz
Two new books look into Israel's military-literary complex. The authors, literary scholars at Tel Aviv University, share an irreverent reverence for the subject matter.
My Grandfather’s House
Amir Mahmoud Jabarin
The fascinating story of an Ottoman-era house in Umm al-Fahm and what it tells us about the history of Palestinian architecture.
From Homeland to Birthplace
Leon Wiener Dow
Showcasing his exceptional talent for blurring the boundary between fact and fiction, Philip Roth's Operation Shylock and The Plot Against America offer a unique reflection on Israel and the Jewish-American situation.
Towards the East an Eye Gazes
Meron Medzini
From its genesis, Zionism sought the favor of Western powers and was virtually uninterested in Asian nations. Three new books look at the exceptions that confirm the rule.
The Hidden Face of Nationalism in Islamic Lands
Shmuel Trigano
In this English adaptation of the introduction of his book 'La Fin du Judaïsme en Terres d’Islam', (published in Hebrew in 2018) Shmuel Trigano reconceptualizes the history of Zionism, of Jewish communities in North Africa and the Middle East, and of the State of Israel.
‘Duel Review’: The Conflict over the Right of Return
Emmanuel Navon Tamer Masalha
Two reviews, separately written, about recent books about the Palestinian "right of return."
Yerus, This is the Land of Israel: To a Disaffected Ethiopian-Israeli
Sharon Shalom
If a school refuses to admit Ethiopian-Israeli students, it is not only our problem. We have to empower the Ethiopian-Israeli youth by telling them that they—the victims of racism—are normal, and that racism is abnormal.
Sick of Himself? Sayed Kashua’s Track Changes
Elaine Margolin
In his new novel, Sayed Kashua seems trapped between the past and the future he seems strangely hesitant to describe.
An Enemy From Another Dimension: Israeli and Palestinian Science Fiction and Fantasy
Hagay HaCohen
The recent publication of two English-language anthologies of science fiction stories, Zion's Fiction and Palestine 100, allows us to examine the complexities of reality in the cold light of the stars.
Israel’s Very Own ‘Illiberal Democracy’
David N. Myers
Zionism is rightly celebrated as a democratic movement, but the liberal element in it has often been sidelined and contested. Netanyahu's authoritarian tendencies seem to echo global trends, but in fact they tell a very local story as well.
Contemporary Art in the ‘Holy City’
Olga Kirschbaum
An interview with Jenna Romano, director of Contemporary Art in Jerusalem, about the surprising and diverse contemporary art scene in the holy city.
My Grandfather's House
Amir Mahmoud Jabarin
The fascinating story of an Ottoman-era house in Umm al-Fahm and what it tells us about the history of Palestinian architecture.
If You Will Not Shave This Rabbit He Will Get Stoned
Dalia Rosenfeld
A short story from Dalia Rosenfeld.
The Prime Ministers: My Version of Events
Akin Ajayi
A new biography of Yitzhak Rabin serves up a stirring story of service to the nation. But since this is settled fact, what else might it contribute to the bigger picture? Akin Ajayi reads between the lines to find out.
A Life in a Poem
David Rosenberg
David Rosenberg's literary memoir, a Guggenheim Fellowship project just published in the UK, includes this excerpt from the period when he lived in Israel, working as an editor for Hakibbutz Hameuchad publisher and the Institute for Translation of Hebrew Literature.
"I didn’t choose to write in the form of a letter, it chose me": An Interview with Evan Fallenberg
Alex Stein
An interview with Evan Fallenberg on his new novel 'The Parting Gift', focusing on issues of language, sexuality, and politics.
‘Duel Review’: What Happened to the Israeli Left?
Ben-Dror Yemini Naomi Chazan
Two reviews, separately written, analyze the factors behind the chronic weakness of the Israeli Left.