Amos Castel
Amos Castel el Halili is a pseudonym that reflects the complex identities of the author. Amos suggests Jewish identity, relates to the biblical prophet, and his intimate ties to his land and people. Castel reflects a Jewish-Spanish Sephardi identity with its complex ties to Spain and the Sephardi diaspora as well as to the complex situation of those forced to convert to Christianity. El-Halili means in Arabic, “from Hebron” the city of Abraham, el Halil the friend of Allah, reflects the author’s family history in Hebron 1799-1929 (previously Gaza city ~1516~1799) with a continuous status as Dhimmi. On one hand thankful to the Ottoman Empire for hosting his family after the Spanish expulsion, and on the other resentful to the ravages of Dhimmitude. Like more than half of the Israeli population (descendants of Ottoman subjects), the author feels in no way responsible for Western imperialism, to the contrary, like other Dhimmi, the author’s family was a victim of Ottoman imperialism and of Islamic supremacism. The book reflects the author’s rich experience, having lived in Israel, the USA and Europe, and traveled in many places around the world. The author has an extensive knowledge and experience in the fields of Town planning, Architecture, and History, and took more than his share in various NGOs enhancing peace and human rights.
