Biography
I have a MA in Politics and IR from the University of Haifa (with distinction), and a PhD from the University of Bristol funded by the University of Bristol Centenary Scholarship (2014). My PhD at Bristol conducted a genealogy of nationalism in political thought and IR theory and a revised and extended version is due to be published with Palgrave Macmillan (2019/2020).
I joined Keele in January 2014 and I am currently the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion.
I was previously Director of PGT Studies in Politics and IR (2017-2019).
Research and scholarship
My research lies at the intersection of nations and nationalism, political theory, and critical approaches to IR and security, with a focus on Israel/Palestine. My work is influenced by discourse analytical and psychoanalytical approaches to (global) politics, particularly Lacanian psychoanalysis and the works of Slavoj Žižek. Key concepts I have been developing and applying to political and IR theory as well as Israel/Palestine include ‘fantasy’, ‘enjoyment’ (jouissance) and interpellation.
I have published research papers on homonationalism in Israeli society (Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society), on the relationship between nationalism and insecurity (Critical Studies on Security) and on the nation/state in modernity and IR theory (Philosophy & Social Criticism, and the Journal of IR & Development). My forthcoming book offers a psychoanalytical genealogy of nationalism in political and IR theory (forthcoming with Palgrave).
I am currently finalising a journal paper that analyses the Brexit vote and discourse and the rise of national-populism through a psychoanalytical lens, focusing on the bodily enjoyment (jouissance) the narrative of ‘Making Britain Great Again’ entails. Other projects include an analysis of the Israeli documentary-style reality TV show ‘Jerusalem District’ and a broader project on Lacanian psychoanalysis and IR theory.
Teaching
I am currently the module leader of:
Intro to IR (level 4)
Israel/Palestine: Key Issues and Debates (level 6)
Global Fault-lines, with Bulent Gokay (level 7)
Human Rights and Global Politics (level 7)
I also contribute to the Philosophy of the Social Sciences (PGT, PhD)
I used to lead and teach Securing Global Order (level 4), Dissertation Module (level 6), Gendering Global Politics (level 6), and the Other Middle-East (level 6).
Selected Publications
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‘I’m a proud Israeli’: Homonationalism, belonging and the insecurity of the Jewish-Israeli body national. Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society. doi> full text>2018.
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The Nation/State Fantasy A Psychoanalytical Genealogy of Nationalism. Palgrave Macmillan.2020.
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Do we need a (legal) definition of anti-Semitism?. link>2019.
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Editorial: The Rise of “Authoritarian Populism” in the 21st Century: From Erdoğan’s Turkey to Trump’s America. The Journal of Global Faultlines, vol. 4(1). link>2017.
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De/Re-constructing the political: how do critical approached to 'security' frame our understanding of the political?. Critical Studies on Security. doi> link> full text>2016.
Full Publications List show
Books
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The Nation/State Fantasy A Psychoanalytical Genealogy of Nationalism. Palgrave Macmillan.2020.
Journal Articles
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‘I’m a proud Israeli’: Homonationalism, belonging and the insecurity of the Jewish-Israeli body national. Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society. doi> full text>2018.
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Editorial: The Rise of “Authoritarian Populism” in the 21st Century: From Erdoğan’s Turkey to Trump’s America. The Journal of Global Faultlines, vol. 4(1). link>2017.
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De/Re-constructing the political: how do critical approached to 'security' frame our understanding of the political?. Critical Studies on Security. doi> link> full text>2016.
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The Brexit Fantasy. E-International Relations. link>2016.
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State, Nation, Society: The Congruency Fantasy and the In/Security of the Body-National/Social. Critical Studies on Security. doi> full text>2016.
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The Fantasy of Congruency: The Abbé Sieyès and the ‘Nation-State’ Problématique Revisited. Philosophy & Social Criticism. doi> full text>2016.
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The Gellnerian Modality Revisited: Towards a ‘Genealogy’ of Cultural Homogenization and Nation-State Congruency. Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 37(11), 2014-2033. doi>2014.
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One state-one nation: the naturalisation of nation–state congruency in IR theory. Journal of International Relations and Development, vol. 16(4), 514-538. doi>2013.
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The “National Left” in Israeli public discourse: A critique. Journal of Language and Politics, vol. 11(2), 448-467. doi>2012.
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Book Review of Sand S. (2009) The Invention of the Jewish people. National Identities, vol. 14(2), 191-194. doi>2012.
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‘Making Our Country Great Again’: The Politics of Subjectivity in an Age of National-Populism. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique. doi> link> full text>
Other
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Do we need a (legal) definition of anti-Semitism?. link>2019.
PhD Supervision
I am the lead supervisor to the following students:
Nacera Haouche, ‘The Resurgence of the Muslim Immigrant as a Barbarian in Samuel Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations and The Remaking of the World Order’ (since 2017).
Keith Lewis, ‘Mystical Post-Anarchism’, (since 2016).
Moaz El-Sayed, ‘Intra-Sunni contestations in contemporary Lebanon: A framing-theory approach to the analysis of political divides within Lebanon’s Sunni demographic (2005-2016), (completed 2019).
I am happy to supervise research students on the following topics:
International Relations and political theory
Critical security studies
Nations and nationalism
Emotions and affect
Gender and sexuality
Israel/Palestine
