Alon Burstein

Alon Burstein is a political scientist and analyst whose scholarship focuses on violent and nonviolent collective action, extremist mobilization, and democratic processes, with a particular emphasis on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. His work combines empirical rigor with theoretical insight to understand how political structures, group identities, and ideological frameworks shape trajectories of conflict, radicalization, and institutional resilience.

Burstein earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where his dissertation examined the conditions under which armed groups shift between secular and religious orientations during conflict. This work was recognized with the Mark Juergensmeyer Best Dissertation in Religion and International Relations Award and an honor from the American Political Science Association for its contribution to the study of religion and politics.

He currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor and Israel Institute Fellow in the Department of Political Science at Tufts University, where he researches and teaches on political violence, state–society interactions, and the dynamics of protracted conflict. Burstein’s publications, appearing in journals such as Israel Studies Review, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, and International Interactions, develop analytical frameworks and datasets for understanding both micro-level mobilization patterns and macro-level political outcomes. He also contributes policy analyses and public commentary on contemporary developments in the Middle East, translating scholarly insight into actionable understanding for policymakers and the broader public.