Shira Robinson

Shira Robinson is an Associate Professor of History and International Affairs at The George Washington University, where she has taught since 2007. Her research centers on the social and cultural history of the Modern Middle East, with a particular focus on colonialism, citizenship, nationalism, and cultures of militarism after World War I. She is affiliated with GW's Institute for Middle East Studies and has previously taught at the University of Iowa and served as a Visiting Fellow at Princeton University's Davis Center for Historical Studies.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Middle Eastern History, Stanford University (2005)

Research Interests:

Robinson's work critically examines the imposition of military rule on Palestinian Arabs who remained within Israel's borders after 1948. Her award-winning book Citizen Strangers: Palestinians and the Birth of Israel's Liberal Settler State (2013) explores how Israel used legal and military mechanisms to marginalize Palestinian citizens, drawing parallels with colonial practices in Algeria, South Africa, and North America. Her research highlights the continuity of colonial legal frameworks from the British Mandate period into Israeli law, particularly in land confiscation and citizenship legislation.

Scientific Awards:

• Outstanding Academic Title Award (2014) - Choice Magazine
• Top 25 Academic Books of the Year (2014) - Choice Magazine

Research Funding:

• Fulbright Institute
• Social Science Research Council
• Mellon Foundation
• Palestinian American Research Center

Editorial Contributions:

Robinson has served on the editorial committee of Middle East Report and co-edited its blog, contributing to scholarly discourse on Middle Eastern history and politics.