​The Arab-Israeli Conflict, Evolution of Zionist Thought, Arab Nationalism and Political Islamism, Middle East History, Middle East Historiography, History of Jerusalem or the Temple Mount, Political Philosophy

 Jacob Jaffe is currently completing his Ph.D. in political science at Georgetown University.  His graduate research has centered on the study of states’ foreign policies as products of their leaders’ philosophical beliefs.  His dissertation uses this theoretical approach to account for the formation of enduring international rivalries; its empirical chapters explain the Arab-Israeli conflict in terms of a philosophical clash between political Zionism (which represents an extension of Enlightenment liberalism) and various Arab nationalist and political Islamist ideologies (which are grounded in more recent collectivist and nationalist thought).  Jacob received his B.A. in political science from Brown University in 2006.  He speaks Hebrew, Arabic, and some Spanish and French.

Contact: jdj37@georgetown.edu