{"id":132,"date":"2025-04-29T09:46:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T09:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/people.socsci.tau.ac.il\/mu\/udisommer\/home-2\/"},"modified":"2025-06-05T07:00:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T07:00:23","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/people.socsci.tau.ac.il\/mu\/udisommer\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Udi Sommer<\/h2>\n

I am the Founding Head of the Barak Leadership Center at Tel\nAviv University and professor of political science. I was the Founding Head of\nthe Center for the Study of the United States with Fulbright. I have been a\nmember of the Global Young Academy since 2019 and was Chairperson of the Israel\nYoung Academy from 2018-2019. I co-chaired the Israeli Cyber Forum at Columbia\nUniversity, while teaching political science at Columbia from 2016-18.<\/p>\n Get in touch <\/a>\n

Appears on:
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My most recent book,\npublished with Bloomsbury<\/h5>\n

The Emerging Republican Minorities: Racial and Ethnic Realignment in the Trump Era<\/h2>\n

How is it possible that Donald Trump, a champion of racist\nand anti-immigrant positions, has consistently attracted more minority voters\nsince 2016? In research covered by the New York Times, the Washington Post, and\nAxios, The Emerging Republican Minorities<\/i> capitalizes on comprehensive\ndata from the presidential elections of 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. The book\nestablishes that the three most heated debates of the Trump era\u2014race,\nimmigration, and China\u2014shaped minority voting patterns, challenging a paradigm\nascribing their automatic loyalty to the Democrats. The book informs the way we\nthink not only about minority political behavior but also about democracy and\nits vitality in the Trump era.\n <\/p>\n learn more<\/a>\n Purchase on Amazon <\/a>\n Purchase on Barnes and Noble <\/a>\n Purchase on \u200bBloomsbury <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Media coverage of the research in The Emerging Republican Minorities<\/span>\n <\/h3>\n
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\"Sommer\npointed out: A significant number of Black individuals hold views closer to\nClarence Thomas than to Ketanji Brown Jackson when it comes to their\nperspectives on what it means to be African American. A notable number of\nLatinos express anti-immigration sentiments. These voters not only struggle to\nidentify with how a progressive Democratic elite defines them but also feel\npatronized.\"
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<\/span>Thomas B. Edsall, <\/span><\/span>\n
New York Times, November 13\n2024\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\"Black voters who backed Trump in 2020 were much\nmore likely than other Black Americans to be skeptical of the idea that Black\npeople suffer from systemic racism, according to researchers Udi Sommer and\nIdan Franco of City University of New York and Northwestern, respectively. They\nfound Latino Trump voters are very wary of increased immigration in\nAmerica.\"
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<\/span> Perry Bacon Jr.<\/span>, 
The Washington Post, October 3 2023  \n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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Research Spotlight<\/h3>\n

Environmental\nPeacebuilding: Moving beyond resolving Violence-Ridden conflicts to sustaining\npeace<\/i> <\/span>\n
<\/span>The literature on environmental peacebuilding (EP) is\nfocused on overcoming or preventing violent conflict using environmental\ncollaboration (EC), typically on common environmental issues between two or\nmore parties. When environmental peacebuilding focuses on international\nconflicts, parties involved are mostly neighboring states. We examine whether\nEP can be used in contexts where violence is not a major issue, and for other\npurposes such as to sustain a peace agreement and reduce the existential threat\nof climate change. We analyze EP between states with no contiguous borders,\nwhich is critical around issues of climate change and international cooperation\non it. We highlight the importance of climate resilience for nations and\ncommunities as a foundation for promoting lasting peace. EC between Israel and\nthe United Arab Emirates serves as our empirical test. Through expert\ninterviews and media analyses, we researched the multifaceted value of EC which\nhas the potential to lead to symbolic rapprochement between states, the\nreduction of climate risks, and can ultimately move to substantial integration.\nThis could be applied to other climate change-affected and conflict-torn\nregions, in the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond.  \n <\/p>\n Google Scholar Profile <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\"Environmental\nPeacebuilding: Moving beyond resolving Violence-Ridden conflicts to sustaining\npeace\". 
U Sommer, F Fassbender <\/span><\/span>\n <\/p>\n

World Development<\/i> 178, 106555, 2025\n <\/p>\"\"<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\"The rise of responsible\nbehavior: Western commercial reports on Western cyber threat actors\".
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L Yoffe, E Matania, U Sommer <\/span>\n <\/p>\n

Contemporary Security Policy<\/i>, 1-26, 2025 \n <\/p>\"\"<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\"Reconceptualizing the\n1990s Judicial Revolution in Israel and its Implications for 2023-25\".\n2025. 
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U Sommer, R Colson, N Schmidt<\/span>\n <\/p>\n

Frontiers in Political Science<\/i> 7, 1535824, 2025 \n <\/p>\"\"<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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Media Appearances<\/h3>\n

I regularly appear as an expert commentator on the Washington Post, WKGO San Francisco, Israeli TV Channels11, 12,, 13 & 14, Christian Science Monitor, ynet.co.il, Haaretz, Galatz Israeli Radio and Knesset TV Channel. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Israel weighs strike on Iran\nto \u2018send a message\u2019 while preserving alliance. <\/p>\n

The Washington Post. April 15 2024. <\/p>\"\"<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Pressure builds on Netanyahu to advance Gaza cease-fire deal. 
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The Washington Post. J\u200bune 1, 2024. <\/p>\"\"<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Israeli TV Ch. 12<\/p>\n

May 28 2025.<\/p>\"\"<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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Research Team<\/h3>\n

The Sommer Research Team at Tel Aviv University welcomes applications for graduate students at the masters and doctoral levels as well as post-Docs on a rolling basis. For inquiries, please email us at udi.sommer@gmail.com<\/a>. \n <\/p>\n

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Petr Pesov<\/h5>\n
Conflicts as Processes: An Attempt at an Interdisciplinary\nModern Conflict Typology  <\/h6>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Idan Franco<\/h5>\n
Unfamiliar and surprising trends in the political behavior\nof minority groups. <\/h6>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Francesca Fassbender<\/h5>\n
Environmental Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution in the\nMiddle East, Asia and South America  <\/h6>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Lior Yoffe<\/h5>\n
The rise of responsible behavior and Western cyber threat\nactors  <\/h6>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Or Rappel-Kroyzer <\/h5>\n
The influence of foreign funding on political activism on US\nCampuses  <\/h6>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Maayan Ben Porat<\/h5>\n
The Money Trail:\nForeign Funding to US Universities<\/h6>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Shiri Kadishson Yanay<\/h5>\n
Behavioral Measures of Mass Polarization<\/h6>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Roy Zilber<\/h5>\n
Technological\nPower<\/b>\n <\/h6>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Max Goetz<\/h5>\n
Non-Domestic\nReparations for Gross Violations of Human Rights in Comparative Perspective<\/h6>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n
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Projects<\/h3>\n
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The Barak Leadership Center<\/h4>\n

Our mission is to cultivate the leaders of today and\ntomorrow, thus meaningfully impact leadership in Israel, the Jewish World and\nthe Middle East. The Barak Center is unique in its focus on national\nleadership, and in particular at the level of elected officials. The Center\nwill train the next generation of Israeli national-level political leaders,\nenhance the capabilities of current Knesset members, and offer a positive\nvision and practical routes for young leaders in the Middle East and in\nthe Jewish world who seek to impact the future of the region. Furthermore,\nthe Center promotes cutting edge research, convenes an annual leadership\nconference, and using artificial intelligence makes scholarship on leadership\navailable to decisionmakers and the public at large. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Environmental Peacebuilding: Moving beyond resolving Violence-Ridden conflicts to sustaining peace<\/h4>\n

The literature on environmental peacebuilding (EP) is focused on overcoming or preventing violent conflict using environmental collaboration (EC), typically on common environmental issues between two or more parties. When environmental peacebuilding focuses on international conflicts, parties involved are mostly neighboring states. We examine whether EP can be used in contexts where violence is not a major issue, and for other purposes such as to sustain a peace agreement and reduce the existential threat of climate change. We analyze EP between states with no contiguous borders, which is critical around issues of climate change and international cooperation on it. We highlight the importance of climate resilience for nations and communities as a foundation for promoting lasting peace. EC between Israel and the United Arab Emirates serves as our empirical test. Through expert interviews and media analyses, we researched the multifaceted value of EC which has the potential to lead to symbolic rapprochement between states, the reduction of climate risks, and can ultimately move to substantial integration. This could be applied to other climate change-affected and conflict-torn regions, in the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond.
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Reconceptualizing the 1990s Judicial Revolution in Israel and its Implications for 2023-25<\/h4>\n

The proposed judicial reform of 2023 is often framed as a\ncountermovement to the judicial revolution of the 1990s. In this narrative,\nChief Justice Aharon Barak, along with other Supreme Court justices, led a\ntop-down transformation that established the court as a dominant institution,\ndriven by the ambition\u2014and perhaps the ego\u2014of those on the judicial bench. If\nthis interpretation were accurate, the 2023 reform could be viewed as a\nlegitimate and necessary step to restore popular sovereignty and counter what\nmight be seen as an overreach of judicial power. We reject this account and\nargue that the key to understanding these developments lies in the enduring\ntension between the Jewish and democratic components of Israel\u2019s identity, a\nconflict evident as early as the Proclamation of Independence. Instead, we\nargue and empirically demonstrate how the changes of the 1990s were less about\njudicial ambition and more about the local response to a global shift triggered\nby the end of the Cold War. During this period, Israelis\u2014across political\nelites and the broader public\u2014sought alignment with the Cold War victors:\nWestern liberal democracies. This alignment motivated a broad push to enhance\nthe democratic dimensions of the nation\u2019s identity, often at the expense of its\nJewish elements. Drawing on extensive empirical evidence, including legislative\ncommittee debates, political speeches, and patterns of ratifications of\ninternational treaties by the Knesset, we demonstrate that this shift was not\nthe product of judicial machinations but rather a reflection of the era\u2019s\nhistorical and global dynamics. Framing the changes of the 1990s in this light\nfundamentally alters our understanding of the 2023 judicial reform. It\nchallenges the popular\u2014and often populist\u2014narrative justifying the reform and\nreveals it as a response to a much deeper historical process rather than a\nsimple correction of judicial overreach. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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Get in touch<\/h2>\n

Udi Sommer
Full Professor of Political Science
\n linkedin<\/a>\n
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\n SSRN<\/a> 
Tel Aviv University, Naftali 522
Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, ISRAEL
WhatsApp and Phone +(972)547137053
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\n udi.sommer@gmail.com<\/a>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n \n \n \n \n \n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Udi Sommer I am the Founding Head of the Barak Leadership Center at Tel Aviv University and professor of political science. I was the Founding Head of the Center for the Study of the United States with Fulbright. I have been a member of the Global Young Academy since 2019 and was Chairperson of the … Continue reading “Home”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-132","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.socsci.tau.ac.il\/mu\/udisommer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.socsci.tau.ac.il\/mu\/udisommer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.socsci.tau.ac.il\/mu\/udisommer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.socsci.tau.ac.il\/mu\/udisommer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.socsci.tau.ac.il\/mu\/udisommer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/people.socsci.tau.ac.il\/mu\/udisommer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":616,"href":"https:\/\/people.socsci.tau.ac.il\/mu\/udisommer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/132\/revisions\/616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.socsci.tau.ac.il\/mu\/udisommer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}