Mark Berlin
@markberlin2.bsky.social
Postdoc at Princeton SPIA. Ph.D. in Political Science from George Washington University. Militant cooperation, extra-lethal violence, and Middle East politics. markberlin2.com
Armed groups often publish denial statements to distance themselves from violent attacks. What effects do these statements have on public perceptions?
Using a survey experiment, @ilaydaonder.bsky.social and I explore this question in this open access article! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Using a survey experiment, @ilaydaonder.bsky.social and I explore this question in this open access article! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
“We have nothing to do with it”: How statements of denial by armed actors shape public perceptions and emotions
Armed groups operating in conflicts around the world publish statements of denial to dissociate themselves from acts of violence. Existing research argues that armed groups publish denial statements ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Armed groups often publish denial statements to distance themselves from violent attacks. What effects do these statements have on public perceptions?
Using a survey experiment, @ilaydaonder.bsky.social and I explore this question in this open access article! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Using a survey experiment, @ilaydaonder.bsky.social and I explore this question in this open access article! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
New publication in the Journal of Conflict Resolution! Why do rebel groups adopt different recruitment strategies? @michaeljsoules.bsky.social and I explore this question by examining the behavior of 232 rebel groups over recent decades journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
September 9, 2025 at 1:55 PM
New publication in the Journal of Conflict Resolution! Why do rebel groups adopt different recruitment strategies? @michaeljsoules.bsky.social and I explore this question by examining the behavior of 232 rebel groups over recent decades journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Postdoc opening at Princeton SPIA. Applications are due this month. I’m more than happy to answer any questions about the position! puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...
puwebp.princeton.edu
February 3, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Postdoc opening at Princeton SPIA. Applications are due this month. I’m more than happy to answer any questions about the position! puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...
While this semester has had its ups and downs, my students have been consistently amazing
December 5, 2024 at 2:52 PM
While this semester has had its ups and downs, my students have been consistently amazing
Reposted by Mark Berlin
Here it is! A Starter Pack for Middle East News
A couple things
1) Inclusion in this list should not be taken as an endorsement, this is to crystalize the MENA ecosystem so it can grow
2) Limit's 150, so if I missed you, hit me in the replies & I'll get you in the next one
go.bsky.app/2pjNYfP
A couple things
1) Inclusion in this list should not be taken as an endorsement, this is to crystalize the MENA ecosystem so it can grow
2) Limit's 150, so if I missed you, hit me in the replies & I'll get you in the next one
go.bsky.app/2pjNYfP
November 13, 2024 at 4:15 PM
Here it is! A Starter Pack for Middle East News
A couple things
1) Inclusion in this list should not be taken as an endorsement, this is to crystalize the MENA ecosystem so it can grow
2) Limit's 150, so if I missed you, hit me in the replies & I'll get you in the next one
go.bsky.app/2pjNYfP
A couple things
1) Inclusion in this list should not be taken as an endorsement, this is to crystalize the MENA ecosystem so it can grow
2) Limit's 150, so if I missed you, hit me in the replies & I'll get you in the next one
go.bsky.app/2pjNYfP
Reposted by Mark Berlin
Hamas regroups in northern Gaza to prepare new offensive. And on it goes.
www.theguardian.com/world/2024/j...
www.theguardian.com/world/2024/j...
Hamas regroups in northern Gaza to prepare new offensive
Militant Palestinian group begins to rebuild system of governance in north after being driven out by Israeli forces
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2024 at 11:49 PM
Hamas regroups in northern Gaza to prepare new offensive. And on it goes.
www.theguardian.com/world/2024/j...
www.theguardian.com/world/2024/j...
Conflictsky
"Why Are the Houthis Attacking?" articles are a dime a dozen these days, but here's one I authored for FPRI
In it I provide an overview of the tactics the Houthis have used during the Gaza crisis, these tactics' history in Yemen, & the multiple factors driving the Houthi escalation on Gaza
menasky
In it I provide an overview of the tactics the Houthis have used during the Gaza crisis, these tactics' history in Yemen, & the multiple factors driving the Houthi escalation on Gaza
menasky
Why Are the Houthis Attacking Now - Foreign Policy Research Institute
On the November 19, forces from Yemen’s rebel Houthi movement launched one of their boldest international attacks to date when they seized the vehicle carrier
fpri.org
December 15, 2023 at 4:47 PM
Conflictsky
Reposted by Mark Berlin
Self-censorship, hostile pressure campaigns, feckless administrators. Shibley Telhami and I have a new article in the Chronicle of Higher Education based on our recent MESB survey of almost 1000 academic Middle East scholars. Its chilling.
abuaardvark.substack.com/p/gaza-and-a...
abuaardvark.substack.com/p/gaza-and-a...
Gaza and Academic Self-Censorship
Our new Chronicle essay reveals eye-opening results from the new Middle East Scholars Barometer survey.
abuaardvark.substack.com
December 7, 2023 at 11:11 AM
Self-censorship, hostile pressure campaigns, feckless administrators. Shibley Telhami and I have a new article in the Chronicle of Higher Education based on our recent MESB survey of almost 1000 academic Middle East scholars. Its chilling.
abuaardvark.substack.com/p/gaza-and-a...
abuaardvark.substack.com/p/gaza-and-a...
Reposted by Mark Berlin
New working paper with Werner Krause & Samer Massoud on the effects of targeting hospitals on violence dynamics in Northwest Syria hicn.org/working-pape...
conflictsky polisky menasky
conflictsky polisky menasky
The bombing of hospitals and local violence dynamics in civil wars: Evidence from Syria – HiCN
Can coercive airpower quell a rebellion? Existing literature on the effects of counterinsurgent violence focuses predominantly on casualties resulting from atta
hicn.org
November 29, 2023 at 3:17 PM
New working paper with Werner Krause & Samer Massoud on the effects of targeting hospitals on violence dynamics in Northwest Syria hicn.org/working-pape...
conflictsky polisky menasky
conflictsky polisky menasky
Interested in how al-Qaeda and it’s affiliates responded to the October 7 attacks? Sara Harmouch, @vladimirrauta.bsky.social, and I discuss these reactions, how they relate to al-Qaeda’s past relations with Hamas, and future implications for militant cooperation irregularwarfare.org/articles/the...
November 14, 2023 at 1:48 PM
Interested in how al-Qaeda and it’s affiliates responded to the October 7 attacks? Sara Harmouch, @vladimirrauta.bsky.social, and I discuss these reactions, how they relate to al-Qaeda’s past relations with Hamas, and future implications for militant cooperation irregularwarfare.org/articles/the...
Reposted by Mark Berlin
This may be too complex a topic for limited characters, but I’ll try: conventional wisdom in the hostage recovery community is the more “professional” the kidnapper, the better outcome for the hostage: less rash, more patient, better care, centralized decision-making authority about release 1/n
I don't know. My intuition is that this introduces more, not less complexity since neither Israel nor the mediators would necessarily have direct access to these groups. I wonder what @danigilbert.bsky.social thinks.
November 11, 2023 at 1:16 PM
This may be too complex a topic for limited characters, but I’ll try: conventional wisdom in the hostage recovery community is the more “professional” the kidnapper, the better outcome for the hostage: less rash, more patient, better care, centralized decision-making authority about release 1/n
Really cool to see our article in print!
November 7, 2023 at 1:51 PM
Really cool to see our article in print!
Conflictsky
Check out my new open access journal article for Policy & Internet: "'Highly nuanced policy is very difficult to apply at scale': Examining researcher account and content takedowns online" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... polisky commsky academicsky
November 6, 2023 at 4:18 PM
Conflictsky
Reposted by Mark Berlin
Reposted by Mark Berlin
"Descriptive research—work aimed at answering 'who,' 'what,' 'when,' 'where,' and 'how' questions—is vital at every stage of social scientific inquiry." 🎉
New (and Open Access!) article in Perspectives on Politics: “A Case for Description”
from Michelle Jurkovitch, Mary Anne Mendoza-Davé, @mkguliford.bsky.social and me!
With a huge thank you to everyone who participated in our workshops, as well!
from Michelle Jurkovitch, Mary Anne Mendoza-Davé, @mkguliford.bsky.social and me!
With a huge thank you to everyone who participated in our workshops, as well!
A Case for Description | PS: Political Science & Politics | Cambridge Core
A Case for Description
www.cambridge.org
November 3, 2023 at 11:41 AM
"Descriptive research—work aimed at answering 'who,' 'what,' 'when,' 'where,' and 'how' questions—is vital at every stage of social scientific inquiry." 🎉
Reposted by Mark Berlin
Reposted by Mark Berlin
A must-read on Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim perspectives by one of the most compelling voices on these issues @danaelkurd.bsky.social
October 27, 2023 at 7:51 PM
A must-read on Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim perspectives by one of the most compelling voices on these issues @danaelkurd.bsky.social
Reposted by Mark Berlin
Frontline uploaded their 2002 documentary on how the Oslo Accords had already fallen apart by the turn of the century.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3P...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3P...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3PpqaLfxo&ab_channel=FRONTLINEPBS%7COfficial
www.youtube.com
October 27, 2023 at 7:13 PM
Frontline uploaded their 2002 documentary on how the Oslo Accords had already fallen apart by the turn of the century.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3P...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3P...
Reposted by Mark Berlin
How big have the protests over Gaza in the US been, what have they been saying, and how might they matter? I had a Good Chat with @jayulfelder.bsky.social and Jeremy Pressman from the Crowd Counting Consortium to find out. Check it out at @goodauth.bsky.social!
goodauthority.org/news/us-prot...
goodauthority.org/news/us-prot...
Will protests over the Israel-Hamas war shift U.S. policy?
Free Gaza CUNY Teachers event Oct. 18, 2023 (cc Pamela Drew/Flickr) There has been a remarkable wave of protests around the world in response to Israel’s
goodauthority.org
October 27, 2023 at 1:49 PM
How big have the protests over Gaza in the US been, what have they been saying, and how might they matter? I had a Good Chat with @jayulfelder.bsky.social and Jeremy Pressman from the Crowd Counting Consortium to find out. Check it out at @goodauth.bsky.social!
goodauthority.org/news/us-prot...
goodauthority.org/news/us-prot...
Polisky
I’m officially an et al.! We analyzed the discourse of al-Masra, an Arabic language newspaper linked to AQAP, surrounding over 100 individuals and organizations across 1250 articles Menasky Conflictsky www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
October 26, 2023 at 2:23 PM
Polisky
Reposted by Mark Berlin
Frame your friends close & your enemies closer: how al-Masra newspaper imagines individuals - Nihad Aboud, Mark Berlin, Sam Biasi, and Tyler B. Parker, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... menasky
Frame your friends close and your enemies closer: how al-Masra newspaper imagines individuals
Armed groups are well-known for discussing their allies and adversaries in unitary actor terms. However, individuals also play an important part in the discourse of armed groups. Focusing on jihadi...
www.tandfonline.com
October 25, 2023 at 9:13 AM
Frame your friends close & your enemies closer: how al-Masra newspaper imagines individuals - Nihad Aboud, Mark Berlin, Sam Biasi, and Tyler B. Parker, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... menasky
Reposted by Mark Berlin
Remarkably timely Arab Barometer survey in Gaza found deep unpopularity of Hamas government. www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/what-...
What Palestinians Really Think of Hamas
Before the war, Gaza’s leaders were deeply unpopular—but an Israeli crackdown could change that.
www.foreignaffairs.com
October 26, 2023 at 10:50 AM
Remarkably timely Arab Barometer survey in Gaza found deep unpopularity of Hamas government. www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/what-...
I’m officially an et al.! We analyzed the discourse of al-Masra, an Arabic language newspaper linked to AQAP, surrounding over 100 individuals and organizations across 1250 articles Menasky Conflictsky www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
October 25, 2023 at 2:22 PM
I’m officially an et al.! We analyzed the discourse of al-Masra, an Arabic language newspaper linked to AQAP, surrounding over 100 individuals and organizations across 1250 articles Menasky Conflictsky www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Reposted by Mark Berlin
I wrote about the hostage crisis ongoing since Hamas kidnapped scores of Israelis and foreigners on Saturday. So much is unknown, but here’s what I’ve got for now, in @goodauth.bsky.social ⤵️
polisky conflictsky intsec
goodauthority.org/news/why-the...
polisky conflictsky intsec
goodauthority.org/news/why-the...
Why the Gaza hostage crisis is different
Security Fence at the border of the Gaza Strip courtesy of © Joyclynn, via Canva.com The Oct. 7 Hamas incursion into Israel – on the 50th anniversary of
goodauthority.org
October 13, 2023 at 11:12 AM
I wrote about the hostage crisis ongoing since Hamas kidnapped scores of Israelis and foreigners on Saturday. So much is unknown, but here’s what I’ve got for now, in @goodauth.bsky.social ⤵️
polisky conflictsky intsec
goodauthority.org/news/why-the...
polisky conflictsky intsec
goodauthority.org/news/why-the...
Reposted by Mark Berlin
Really pleased to share that "Making Sense, Making Choices: How Civilians Choose Survival Strategies During Violence" is accepted at the APSR. @apsa.bsky.social
You can see the accepted version here! I'll post more about the paper once it's up on FirstView.
aidanmilliff.com/media/Millif...
You can see the accepted version here! I'll post more about the paper once it's up on FirstView.
aidanmilliff.com/media/Millif...
October 24, 2023 at 7:21 PM
Really pleased to share that "Making Sense, Making Choices: How Civilians Choose Survival Strategies During Violence" is accepted at the APSR. @apsa.bsky.social
You can see the accepted version here! I'll post more about the paper once it's up on FirstView.
aidanmilliff.com/media/Millif...
You can see the accepted version here! I'll post more about the paper once it's up on FirstView.
aidanmilliff.com/media/Millif...