Matthew Bell

Editor

Matthew Bell is an editor at The World.

I’m an editor based in the Boston newsroom — working from home a lot lately, of course. I work closely with our correspondents who cover the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.

By way of background, I studied comparative religion and Chinese history at the University of Vermont. That led me to Mandarin language classes and UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, and then to KQED Radio in San Francisco. From there, I started freelancing for The World and joined the team full-time here in Boston in late 2001.

In my previous life as a reporter, I was blessed with the opportunity to cover a huge range of stories for The World. But some of the most memorable ones involved taking a trip on a Louisiana shrimping boat in the Gulf of Mexico, covering events in Egypt during the so-called Arab Spring, and meeting North Korean refugees in Seoul, South Korea.

I’m super interested in religion and I tend to think most big news stories have an important, if overlooked, religion angle. I’ve reported a lot on US foreign policy, human rights in China, North Korea’s nuclear activities and life in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Beyond journalism, I’m helping to raise kids and engaged in the lifelong pursuit of learning to play the electric guitar.

buildings demolished

Israel says ‘no’ to a 2-state solution

The Biden administration wants Israel and the Palestinians to get serious about restarting a long-stalled plan for a two-state solution. The European Union is saying the same, and so are Arab leaders, along with others across the international community. But Israel’s current government is digging in its heels. 

Israel says ‘no’ to a 2-state solution
Yair Yifrach works with a client at his gun shop, just outside of Jerusalem.

Israeli civilians are buying lots of guns. Not everyone is feeling safer. 

Israeli civilians are buying lots of guns. Not everyone is feeling safer. 
For more than 30 years, Palestinian and Bedouin shepherds say they lived peacefully in part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

West Bank rocked by increased violence, displacement amid Israel-Hamas war

West Bank rocked by increased violence, displacement amid Israel-Hamas war
Israeli soldiers carry a stretcher toward a helicopter near the border with Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023.

Israel and Hamas reach temporary ceasefire agreement

Israel and Hamas reach temporary ceasefire agreement
An empty shabbat table is set in front of the Tel Aviv Museum to symbolize over 200 missing Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

How the hostage crisis is changing Israel

How the hostage crisis is changing Israel
A video still from an athletic center in Ramallah, in the West Bank, where hundreds of Palestinian workers from the Gaza Strip are stranded.

For Palestinians, the fear of displacement cuts deep

Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli finance minister has endorsed the idea of sending Palestinians from Gaza to countries that will accept them. But Palestinians say this would effectively be ethnic cleansing.

For Palestinians, the fear of displacement cuts deep
The streets of Ashkelon in southern Israel are quiet, but not totally empty after Hamas militants attacked the area over a month ago.

As thousands flee violence in southern Israel, some decide to stay put

Thousands of rockets have been fired at Israeli towns and cities by Hamas militants in Gaza. In the beginning of the war, many were directed at the city of Ashkelon. About 200,000 Israelis have fled to other parts of the country. But some residents have decided to stay put.

As thousands flee violence in southern Israel, some decide to stay put
blast

Israel plans a ground assault in Gaza as Hamas holds a large number of Israeli hostages 

Israel's response to the deadly attack by Hamas over the weekend is already underway. But as hundreds of thousands of Israeli troops gather on the border of the Gaza Strip, they're facing a new challenge. More than a hundred Israeli hostages are being held inside Gaza by Hamas. This has to be something that Israeli military leaders are thinking about as they plan for what looks like a major military assault against Hamas. 

Israel plans a ground assault in Gaza as Hamas holds a large number of Israeli hostages 
Noam Tsuriely is a 28-year-old Jewish Israeli hip-hop artist from Jerusalem, whose debut album will drop later this summer.

This Israeli rapper brings people together through multilingual lyrics

Noam Tsuriely is a 28-year-old Jewish Israeli hip-hop artist from Jerusalem He says he likes to rap in both Hebrew and Arabic to get Israelis and Palestinians to learn both languages, so they can understand each other better. Tsuriely's story is the latest in The World's summer "Planet Hip Hop" series.

This Israeli rapper brings people together through multilingual lyrics
man tattooing woman

This Jerusalem tattoo studio is part of a centuries-old Christian tradition 

The Razzouk family in the Old City of Jerusalem has been doing Christian-themed tattoos going back to the 1300s. Today, tattoo artist Wassim Razzouk and his sons carry on a Coptic Christian tradition of tattoo artistry, attracting people who come from all over the world to the family shop to get inked.

This Jerusalem tattoo studio is part of a centuries-old Christian tradition 
mosque

‘Back to normal’ at Jerusalem’s holiest site 

Authorities managed to avoid a worst-case scenario at the holiest site in Jerusalem during the overlapping religious holidays of Easter, Passover and Ramadan that ended a few weeks ago. Now, things are returning to normal at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

‘Back to normal’ at Jerusalem’s holiest site 
The World

Russia claims it controls Bakhmut, again

The World's Marco Werman has more details on the status of the city.

Russia claims it controls Bakhmut, again
protest

Israel’s ‘judicial coup’ protests are going strong. They still might fail.

After turning out tens of thousands of anti-government protesters every weekend for more than four months, they did it again. On Saturday night, more than 100,000 people turned out in central Tel Aviv to say no to the government's plans for judicial reform.

Israel’s ‘judicial coup’ protests are going strong. They still might fail.
man showing picture

Palestinians celebrate a new generation of West Bank militants 

Israelis see the Lions' Den group as terrorists, blaming it for a rise in shooting attacks. But in Nablus, many Palestinians hail these men as brave fighters standing up to the Israeli occupation.

Palestinians celebrate a new generation of West Bank militants 
Ukrainian soldiers inspect trenches used by Russian soldiers during the occupation of villages on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, April 1, 2022.

The war in Ukraine is also about religion

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given various reasons to justify his decision to order an attack on Ukraine. But one thing he talked about early on was religion.

The war in Ukraine is also about religion