Omri Bezalel
WRITING
The Jewish State of Prisoner Exchanges
Long form article
Explores the Israeli mindset behind the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange, where over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners were freed for one Israeli soldier. How did national trauma, public sentiment, and the emotional and moral complexities involved in the deal led to 80 percent of Israelis favoring the deal?
Parallel Mourning
Essay
Compares national mourning practices in Israel and the United States, reflecting on the emotional weight of Memorial Day in Israel versus America’s Memorial Day. It explores how memorials, like Sphere, symbolize both personal grief and collective trauma.
War Stories
Essay
Explores the complexities of war, guilt, and representation through the lens of personal experience and Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. It examines the tension between “happening-truth” and “story-truth” in processing trauma and moral conflict.
Whalid
Short Story
Explores the internal conflict of a soldier in the Israeli Navy SEALs who almost dies in Gaza, reflecting on the Palestinian boy who tried to kill him and the complexity of guilt, identity, and the realities of war.
“Bring Me the Ethiopian Jews”
Article
Explores the challenges faced by Ethiopian-Israelis, highlighting the systemic failures in integration and the isolation they continue to experience.
Not Our Sons
Article
Explores how Israeli society's emotional attachment to its soldiers influences public opinion and complicates ethical accountability.
Jewish Reconciliation
Article
Examines the division among Jewish students regarding Israel, focusing on the rise of anti-Zionism and support for the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and highlighting the complexities of Jewish identity and its intersection with activism.
The Nuance of Victim Blaming
Article
Examines the delicate balance between preventing sexual assault and victim-blaming.
Punching Through Jamestown
Article
Delves into the challenges facing boxing and boxers in Jamestown, Ghana, a district with a rich history of producing world champions but hindered by systemic financial and developmental issues.
