Daniel Sobelman

Daniel Sobelman is a Faculty Affiliate with the Middle East Initiative and a Professor of International Relations at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, where he teaches about coercion, war, and the international relations of the Middle East. His research revolves around asymmetric coercion, specifically in the context of contemporary Middle Eastern conflicts. Daniel is the author of “Axis of Resistance: Asymmetric Deterrence and Rules of the Game in Contemporary Middle East Conflicts” (SUNY Press, 2025), which analyzes the deterrence dynamics in the region and explains the strategic origins of Hamas’s October 7th attack.

Prior to joining academia, Daniel completed three years of mandatory service in Israel's military intelligence, following which he joined the Israeli daily Haaretz as Arab Affairs correspondent. In addition, he worked as an Arabic linguist for the U.S. Government's Open Source Center. Daniel also holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the history of the Middle East and Islam, from Tel Aviv University. His publications include, among others, "Learning to Deter: Deterrence Failure and Success in the Israel-Hezbollah Conflict, 2006–16" (International Security); "Restraining an Ally: Israel, the United States and Iran's Nuclear Program, 2011–2012" (Texas National Security Review); “Rules of the Game in Asymmetric Conflicts” (Security Studies); "Reconceptualizing Triangular Coercion in International Relations" (Cooperation and Conflict); "Coercive Disclosure: The Weaponization of Public Intelligence Revelation in International Relations" (Contemporary Security Policy); "Houthis in the Footsteps of Hizbullah" (Survival); and "Hezbollah's Coercion And the Israel-Lebanon Maritime Deal" (Middle East Policy). His work has also appeared in, and otherwise cited by, outlets such as the New York Times, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, War on the Rocks, the National Interest, and Foreign Policy.