Omer Biran

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Jan 16, 2025, 11:12 PM

A Chain to Be Broken: A Chronicle of Violence

In 1929, as part of a wave of violence that swept through Mandatory Palestine, false rumors reached the mixed city of Safed claiming that Zionist Jews ("Muscovites") had killed Arabs who went to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque ("Al-Haram")...

Oct 9, 2024, 10:19 PM

Columbia as a phenomenon – a few thoughts

On my last visit to America I had several trips to southern Missouri. Whether for a coffee stop or to refuel, I happened to pass through towns the like of which I had never seen before. DeSoto Missouri, Bismarck...

Oct 2, 2024, 10:00 PM

Not ‘hasbara’, a human story

In the early 2000s, between the cheerful years of the Second Intifada and the exploding buses, and the Second Gulf War and the gas masks, my mother's brother came to Israel for a family visit. He came from New...

Apr 12, 2024, 10:52 AM

Between Star Wars and Dune: From liberty to jihad in 40 years

Dune and Star Wars composite photo. (via X, formerly Twitter)

The differences between the two epics illuminate the shifting values and priorities of our world

Apr 4, 2024, 9:48 AM

Israel cannot afford to shoot the Palestinian elephant in the room

The short autobiographical story by George Orwell, "Shooting an Elephant," recounts an incident that occurred to him in Burma while serving there as a British officer in the imperial service. The story tells of an elephant on a rampage,...

Mar 30, 2024, 11:03 AM

Netanyahu’s historical aspirations meet the image of Napoleon, the third

The legend says that in his Jerusalem childhood, Benjamin Netanyahu was a recurring victim of bullying. For a long period, whenever young Benjamin returned from elementary school to his upscale neighborhood of Rehavia, he would be accosted by the...

Mar 28, 2024, 12:23 AM

Don’t give them guns, cut their funds

Purim is an ongoing hectic event. A blend of Halloween and Mardi Gras spiced with a classic Jewish myth about another time we escaped annihilation. Throughout the week, the sons and daughters of Israel let loose and dress in...

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About Me

Omer Biran is a 4th year student for LL.B. in law with a direct route to M.A. in government. Former columnist / tech reporter for 'Under the Radar'. Research intern in 'The Institute for Policy' and Strategy at Reichman University. Former creator and presenter of the radio program 'The Megaphone' on the University Radio which dealt with protest music in a historical context.