I am currently a PhD candidate at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel. I am working toward my doctorate in political science under the supervision of Professor Jonathan Fox, with a focus area of religion and politics. In particular, I concentrate on religion and government in the Muslim world, using quantitative and qualitative methodology. As part of my studies, I have also done extensive research as part of the Religion and State Project, coordinated by Professor Fox, studying religion policies of all world states and coding their policies.
I received my MA from Tel Aviv University in Middle Eastern History. My thesis, under the supervision of Professor Bruce Maddy-Weitzman, was on the reactions of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia to Hizbullah and Hamas during their wars in 2006 and 2008/2009 with Israel. I analyzed the reactions of these states in a historical context, explaining them as a function of the change in the meaning of Palestine and the Palestinians to Arab states, of the history and memory of conflict with Islamist groups over the past half-century, and of the interactions between Iran and the Arab states over the past-half century. Other areas of research interest were Islamist groups (particularly Hamas and Hizbullah), religion and politics in the Middle East, tribal politics, and Arab politics.
I earned my BA in 2001 from the University in Missouri in Music Education. Following graduation, I taught in the United States for 5 years before leaving in 2007 for Israel.
I currently live in Modi’in, Israel, happily married and with 2 children, a girl and boy.
