Gabriel Mitchell

gabimitchell.substack.com105: UnrecognizableReflections on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and coming home

14 Aug

Sharing my reflections on Christopher Nolan’s version of The Odyssey, and the challenges facing soldiers coming home from war gabimitchell.substack.com/p/105-unreco...

10h

Does Eisenkot have the stones and the skills to build a government? Tune in to Season Two of Israel Election 2026!

Gabriel Mitchell@gabiamitchell.bsky.social

🇮🇱 Bottom line from the exit polls: 1. Netanyahu's Likud the largest party but his bloc weakened 2. Eisenkot did well, but not enough for clear advantage 3. Arab parties flexed big time 4. There will be massive calls for unity government 5. Plenty of votes still need to be counted

10h

11h

🇮🇱 Voter turnout in Israel's elections as of 8pm: 74.3% highest since 1988

12h

Netanyahu's request for an extension has been dismissed. Polls will close at 10pm.

Gabriel Mitchell@gabiamitchell.bsky.social

🇮🇱 There has been heavy rain, thunderstorms, and hail throughout the country this afternoon and evening. A legitimate reason to keep polls open a bit later. My street was totally flooded, and so is the case for many main roads.

13h

Reported voter turnout in Arab towns in Israel Kafr Qasm - 60.7% Rahat - 60.6% Tarabin al-Sana - 58% Deir al-Asad - 53.9% and more...

13h

13h

🇮🇱 Voter turnout in Israel's elections as of 6pm: 66.7% This is the highest ever recorded at this hour in Israeli history. Polls closed at 10pm. Reminder, 2022 total voter turnout was 70.63%

15h

🇮🇱 Voter turnout in Israel's elections as of 4pm: 55.7% Either no one wanted to be out at dark or we are going to have a historic evening

Gabriel Mitchell@gabiamitchell.bsky.social

🇮🇱 Voter turnout in Israel's elections as of 2pm: 44.9% 🤯 pretty wild stuff

17h

🇮🇱 Voter turnout in Israel's elections as of 2pm: 44.9% 🤯 pretty wild stuff

Gabriel Mitchell@gabiamitchell.bsky.social

Voter turnout in Israel's elections as of 12פm: 31.5% Highest turnout since 1977 - the historic mahapach victory of Menachem Begin

19h

Voter turnout in Israel's elections as of 12פm: 31.5% Highest turnout since 1977 - the historic mahapach victory of Menachem Begin

Gabriel Mitchell@gabiamitchell.bsky.social

Voter turnout in Israel's elections as of 10am: 16.68% In 2022, turnout at the same time stood at 15.9% So far, highest turnout since 1981 - let's see what happens going forward

20h

Voter turnout in Israel's elections as of 10am: 16.68% In 2022, turnout at the same time stood at 15.9% So far, highest turnout since 1981 - let's see what happens going forward

iglob.esIsraelis flock home from abroad to vote 

🇮🇱 "Ahead of the Knesset elections on Tuesday, about 32,200 passengers have been arriving daily at Ben Gurion Airport over the past two weeks, while an average of 26,000 passengers have been departing..." iglob.es?en1560657

gabimitchell.substack.comIssue 110: Why I Am Voting For Changeand other thoughts on Israel’s upcoming elections

🇮🇱 Why I am voting for change in Israel's elections gabimitchell.substack.com/p/110-why-i-...

gabimitchell.substack.comIssue 108: I watched NAZAand it is neither deserving of praise or denunciation.

I watched the NAZA film and it is neither worthy of praise nor denunciation gabimitchell.substack.com/p/issue-108-...

gabimitchell.substack.com107: Let There Be SongsOn silence, uncertainty, and October 7th

My reflections on silence and uncertainty on the 3rd anniversary of October 7th gabimitchell.substack.com/p/107-let-th...

1/ Three years ago, my family went to Be'er Sheva to celebrate Simchat Torah with friends. What happened next changed our lives, along with the lives of everyone living in this land.

3/ Since returning home, I've regained my confidence in language and how I want to share my worldview with others. But occasionally, the silence returns. I don't mind that. It's not that some things are better left unsaid. I've just accepted my silence speaking for itself.

4/ Tonight, I'll be together with my family. I now understand what a miraculous blessing that is. And tomorrow, I'll awaken at 6:29 and sit in silence as I remember those who are no longer with us. May their memory be a blessing. May their memory be a revolution.

1/ Three years ago, my family went to Be'er Sheva to celebrate Simchat Torah with friends. What happened next changed our lives, along with the lives of everyone living in this land.

2/ On October 7, I was in stunned disbelief. I didn't have the words to describe my anguish. When I put on my uniform to join my reserve unit, I shut down my social media accounts, worried that my smartphone would distract me from the uncertainty I was about to face.

gabimitchell.substack.com106: Misreading MeccaIsrael shouldn't make the new Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani defense arrangement about it

4 Sept

My latest on the Mecca Agreement, its implications for Israel, and some recommended readings by Aziz Alghashian, İsmail Numan Telci, Gonul Tol & Asad Ullah gabimitchell.substack.com/p/106-misrea...

withinyourgates.orgWithin Your Gates | The Forum for the Universal Vocation of JerusalemA forum for applied interdisciplinary research and outreach — rooted in the realities of Jerusalem — convening scholars, faith and civic leaders across traditions to serve the common good of the Holy ...

1 Sept

📢 Announcing the launch of Within Your Gates, a forum for applied interdisciplinary research and outreach — rooted in the realities of Jerusalem — convening scholars, faith and civic leaders across traditions to serve the common good of the Holy City. withinyourgates.org

1 Sept

Sponsored by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and in partnership with the University of Notre Dame, Within Your Gates will be spearheaded by Notre Dame’s academic center in Jerusalem.

1 Sept

On a personal note, it has been an honor to contribute to discussions and efforts that made Within Your Gates a reality. I'm looking forward to seeing it evolve and thrive in the coming years.

haaretz.comBook Review • Dreaming of a pragmatic West Asia from an ideological Middle East***

24 Aug

Delighted to share my review of Mohammad Soliman's fantastic book West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East and the important questions it raises about Israel's regional belonging in @haaretzcom.bsky.social www.haaretz.com/life/books/2...

open.substack.com104: The Valley of TearsA chance run-in with a familiar face brings back memories from the war

31 July

A chance run-in with a familiar face brings back memories of the war open.substack.com/pub/gabimitc...

jpost.comIsrael’s energy blind spot: Why gas export strategy risks long-term security | The Jerusalem PostIsrael expanded its natural gas export agreement with Egypt – the largest in its history – while ENI and TotalEnergies committed Cyprus’s Kronos field to Egyptian liquefaction terminals

14 July

Israel's attention has been fixed on the war and elections, but key commercial decisions in the Eastern Mediterranean carry real costs for 🇮🇱's long-term energy security. My latest: www.jpost.com/opinion/arti...

10 July

This week I wrote about fair weather friends t.co/qIMCf25Teb

jpost.comIsraeli gov't votes to recognize Armenian Genocide | The Jerusalem PostTurkey denies that the massacres, imprisonment, and forced deportation of Armenians amounted to genocide, and Israel long avoided recognizing it as such due to diplomatic sensitivities.

🇮🇱🇹🇷🧵 The Israeli government voted today to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide, following a resolution proposed by FM Gideon Sa'ar last week. The proposal now goes to the Knesset plenum for a vote. www.jpost.com/israel-news/...

What's left is a recognition that's historically accurate but diplomatically hollow, and timed more to antagonize Ankara than to honor Armenian memory and suffering.

t.cohttps://www.timesofisrael.com/eclipsed-by-conflict-armenians-fight-for-survival-in-jerusalems-old-city/

There's something uncomfortable about the Israeli government recognizing the Armenian genocide while far-right groups try to seize land in Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter - a community with a recorded presence in the city since the 1300s. t.co/iAfJPbc5Rm

That's how genocide recognition works in the international system. It less about morality and more about interests. Israel isn't being enlightened here. It's being opportunistic.

The shame of it is that recognition from a position of strong bilateral ties (1990s-2000s) would have carried more weight and the relationship then would have had enough cushion to ride out the inevitable turbulence.

The historical record on the Armenian Genocide was never in serious scholarly dispute. What was in question is whether recognition was worth the diplomatic cost. Today Israel decided it was - not because the historical record changed, but because its relationship with Turkey did.

gabimitchell.substack.comIssue 102: Deal With ItIsrael may not like the US-Iran MOU, but it still needs to make the most of it

26 June

My latest substack on the US-Iran MOU and Israel's need to shift its approach in the region gabimitchell.substack.com/p/issue-102-...

gmfus.orgThe Eastern Mediterranean’s Dependency Trap

11 June

In my latest for @gmfus.bsky.social I explain how commercial decisions are outpacing regional diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean and risk locking in vulnerabilities that will be hard to reverse www.gmfus.org/news/eastern...

9 June

I just went 82–0 — think you can go 82-0? www.82-0.com/share?id=Dfu...

🎉 I’m excited and grateful to share that I successfully defended my dissertation and completed my PhD in Planning, Governance, and Globalization at @virginiatech.bsky.social

❤️ Finally, I would like to thank my wife for being my rock - taking me to task when I strayed from my goal but also giving me the motivation and encouragement to keep moving forward and keep writing.

Spending a quarter of one's life working on something may sound absurd. Looking back, I know I am fundamentally a different person than when I began this journey. That has made it all worthwhile. I am excited for what comes next.

🎉 I’m excited and grateful to share that I successfully defended my dissertation and completed my PhD in Planning, Governance, and Globalization at @virginiatech.bsky.social

What a long strange trip: 12 years, 2 international relocations, 2 (new) children, 1 pandemic, countless jobs, multiple wars, and of course my own personal mountains to climb as a researcher and writer. Reaching this moment means a great deal to me and to my family.

🙏 I want to thank my advisor Professor Joel Peters for his commitment to my academic journey, as well as the rest of my incredible committee (Ariel Ahram, Giselle Datz, Yannis Stivachtis and Alan Makovsky) for their thoughtful and generous feedback.

gabimitchell.substack.comIssue 99: The Map Is Not the CorridorNew maps imagine the future of trade after the Hormuz shock. For now, oil is moving by truck.

29 Apr

The war with Iran has birthed a glut of ambitious infrastructure projects - and with them, maps - which I explore in some detail here 👇 gabimitchell.substack.com/p/issue-99-t...

Gabriel Mitchell reposted

gabimitchell.substack.comIssue 99: The Map Is Not the CorridorNew maps imagine the future of trade after the Hormuz shock. For now, oil is moving by truck.

28 Apr

My latest on the Hormuz crisis: competing corridor proposals, political constraints, and why most of them will remain in digital form only. gabimitchell.substack.com/p/issue-99-t...

gabimitchell.substack.comIssue 99: The Map Is Not the CorridorNew maps imagine the future of trade after the Hormuz shock. For now, oil is moving by truck.

28 Apr

My latest on the Hormuz crisis: competing corridor proposals, political constraints, and why most of them will remain in digital form only. gabimitchell.substack.com/p/issue-99-t...

gabimitchell.substack.comIssue 97: What Was This All For?A fragile ceasefire, Lebanon still burning, and questions that won't go away.

10 Apr

I tried to organize some thoughts on the odd return to routine in Jerusalem gabimitchell.substack.com/p/issue-97-w...

open.spotify.comSpotify – Web Player

2 Apr

This is an amazing podcast episode about Gaza's Christian community with Georg Rowenkamp open.spotify.com/episode/3Kt2...

al-monitor.comIsrael weathers energy shock from Iran war even as world battles crisisIran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz has thrown the global economic system into turmoil, yet Israel, which launched attacks on Tehran alongside the United States, has emerged as a rare exception.S...

31 Mar

🇮🇱 Was grateful to discuss Israel's wartime energy security measures here 👇 www.al-monitor.com/originals/20... via @almonitor.bsky.social

open.substack.comIssue 96: A War Without an Off-RampWithout diplomacy, escalation becomes easier and violence becomes harder to contain.

20 Mar

My latest: When diplomacy is abandoned, escalation becomes easier and war becomes harder to contain. open.substack.com/pub/gabimitc...

Gabriel Mitchell reposted