I am the Max Kampelman Chair in Democracy and Human Rights and a professor in the Departments of Political Science and International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
I am a political scientist specializing in comparative politics, international relations, and conflict processes, with a particular focus on ethnically divided societies and political violence. My research examines both the causes and consequences of violence, as well as the everyday experiences of people living in protracted conflict zones—especially in contested urban spaces such as Jerusalem. Over the years, I have refined my theoretical and empirical approach to explore the micro- and macro-level dynamics of political violence, identity-based mobilization, and intergroup relations in divided cities.
I have led and collaborated on multiple interdisciplinary research projects—funded by the EU, the Israel Science Foundation, and other agencies—together with political scientists, urban scholars, and public opinion experts. These collaborations have deepened my work on urban segregation, social cohesion, and long-term political behavior shaped by historical trauma and displacement.
My recent work includes studies on the geography and timing of violent events in Jerusalem, attitudes toward reconciliation among conflict-exposed populations, the political incorporation of asylum seekers, and the legacy of the 1948–49 war on Israeli and Palestinian political behavior. My publications appear in leading journals in the discipline.
I bring these research insights into the classroom, where I teach courses on political violence, ethnic conflict, and urban politics. I am also actively engaged in graduate mentoring and have co-supervised award-winning doctoral dissertations.