February 2024
Department of Economics
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel
E-mail: eklor@huji.ac.il
Homepage: https://openscholar.huji.ac.il/estebanklor
Academic Positions
2016 – present: Rosita Herczeg Professor of Economics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2015 – 2016: Rosita Herczeg Associate Professor of Economics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2011 – 2015: Associate Professor, Department of Economics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2009 – 2011: Senior Lecturer (with tenure), Department of Economics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2008 – 2009: Visiting Scholar, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
2008 – 2009: Visiting Assistant Professor, Boston University
2003 – 2009: Lecturer, Department of Economics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2002 – 2003: Post-Doctoral Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor, Wallis Institute of Political Economy, University of Rochester
Professional Positions
2019 – 2022: Director, The Pinhas Sapir Forum for Economic Policy in Israel
2015 – 2018: Chair, Department of Economics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2013 – 2015: Director, The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel
2012 – present: Management Committee Member, European Network for Conflict Research (ENCoRE)
2009 – 2012: Member of the Academic Advisory Board, The Levy Eshkol Institute
2006 – 2007: Co-Director, Program for the Study of Taxation in Israel, The Maurice Falk Institute
Winter 2001: Consultant, The World Bank, Latin America Poverty Group
Professional Affiliations
2021 – present: Senior Research Fellow, The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)
2014 – present: Affiliated Researcher, The University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation (IGCC)
2014 – present: Research Fellow, Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)
2008 – present: Core Member, Network for the Economic Analysis of Terrorism and Anti-Terror Policies (NEAT), The European Commission
2008 – present: Senior Affiliate, Households in Conflict Network (HiCN)
2009 – 2012: Research Fellow, The Israel Democracy Institute
2004 – 2014: Research Affiliate, Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)
Editorial Positions
2013 – present: Member of the Editorial Board, Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy
2013 – 2017: Associate Editor, Journal of Experimental Political Science
2012: Guest Editor, special issue on “Political Economy Studies of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy
Education
Ph.D. Economics, New York University, May 2002
M.A. Economics (Magna Cum Laude), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1997
B.A. Economics and Sociology (Summa Cum Laude), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1995
Fields of Specialization
Applied Microeconomics, Political Economy, Economics of National Security
Publications
"When Deterrence Backfires: House Demolitions, Palestinian Radicalization, and Israeli Fatalities," with Michael Freedman
Journal of Conflict Resolution, August 2023, 67 (7): 1592-1617.
“Cronyism in State Violence: Evidence from Labor Repression During Argentina's Last Dictatorship,” with Sebastian Saiegh and Shanker Satyanath
Journal of the European Economic Association, June 2021, 19 (3): 1439-1487. (Lead article).
“Defense and the Economy in Israel, 1990-2016” with Asaf Zussman
in The Israeli Economy in the Last Twenty Years: Lights and Shadows in a Market Economy, Ben-Bassat, Gronau, and Zussman (eds.), Cambridge University Press, February 2021, pages 168-202.
“What Explains the Flow of Foreign Fighters to ISIS?” with Efraim Benmelech
Terrorism and Political Violence, 2020, 32 (7): 1458-1481.
Select Media Coverage: Bloomberg, The Atlantic
“Party Hacks and True Believers: The Effect of Party Affiliation on Political Preferences,” with Eric Gould
Journal of Comparative Economics, September 2019, 47 (3): 504-524.
“On Public Opinion Polls and Voters' Turnout,” with Eyal Winter
Journal of Public Economic Theory, April 2018, 20 (2): 239-256.
Select Media Coverage: Science News, The Marker (in Hebrew), The Telegraph
“The Long Run Effect of 9/11: Terrorism, Backlash, and the Assimilation of Muslim Immigrants in the West,” with Eric Gould
Economic Journal, November 2016, 126 (597): 2064-2114.
Select Media Coverage: The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Pacific Standard, VOX, Included in Special Issue on Economics of Conflict
“Is Centralization a Solution to the Soft Budget Constraint Problem?” with Avi Ben-Bassat and Momi Dahan
European Journal of Political Economy, December 2016, 45 (1): 57-75.
“Does Campaign Spending Affect Electoral Outcomes?” with Avi Ben-Bassat and Momi Dahan
Electoral Studies, December 2015, 40 (1), 102-114.
“Can Militants use Violence to Win Public Support? Evidence from the Second Intifada,” with David Jaeger, Sami Miaari, and Daniele Paserman
Journal of Conflict Resolution, April 2015, 59 (3), 528-549.
“Counter-Suicide-Terrorism: Evidence from House Demolitions,” with Effi Benmelech and Claude Berrebi
Journal of Politics, January 2015, 77 (1): 27-43.
Select Media Coverage: The New Republic, The Forward, The Supreme Court of Israel.
“Can Higher Bonuses Lead to Less Effort? Incentive Reversal in Teams,” with Sebastian Kube, Eyal Winter, and Ro’i Zultan
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, January 2014, 97 (1): 72-83.
Representativeness and Efficiency in Local Government, with Avi Ben Bassat and Momi Dahan
The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem, 2013 (in Hebrew).
“The Impact of the Economic Costs of Conflict on Individuals’ Political Attitudes,” with Avi Ben Bassat, Momi Dahan, and Benny Geys
Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy, August 2012, 18 (2): Article 4. Special issue on “Political Economy Studies of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”
“The Struggle for Palestinian Hearts and Minds: Violence and Public Opinion in the Second Intifada,” with David Jaeger, Sami Miaari, and Daniele Paserman
Journal of Public Economics, April 2012, 96 (3-4): 354-368.
Select Media Coverage: The Washington Post
“Economic Conditions and the Quality of Suicide Terrorism,” with Effi Benmelech and Claude Berrebi
Journal of Politics, January 2012, 74 (1): 113-128. Reprinted in: "The Economics of Terrorism," W. Enders ed., Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., 2016.
Select Media Coverage: LA Times, The Economist
“Does Terrorism Work?” with Eric Gould
Quarterly Journal of Economics, November 2010, 125 (4): 1459-1510.
Select Media Coverage: Vox, The New Republic
“The Impact of Terrorism on the Defense Industry,” with Claude Berrebi
Economica, July 2010, 77 (307): 518-543.
“The Economic Cost of Harboring Terrorism,” with Effi Benmelech and Claude Berrebi
Journal of Conflict Resolution, April 2010, 54 (2): 331-353.
“Social Identity and Preferences over Redistribution,” with Moses Shayo
Journal of Public Economics, April 2010, 94 (3-4): 269-278.
“Are Voters Sensitive to Terrorism? Direct Evidence from the Israeli Electorate,” with Claude Berrebi
American Political Science Review, August 2008, 102 (3): 279-301. (Lead article)
Select Media Coverage: The New York Times
“The Welfare Effects of Public Opinion Polls,” with Eyal Winter
International Journal of Game Theory, February 2007, 35 (3): 379-394.
“On Terrorism and Electoral Outcomes: Theory and Evidence from the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” with Claude Berrebi
Journal of Conflict Resolution, December 2006, 50 (6): 899-925.
“A Positive Model of Overlapping Income Taxation in a Federation of States”
Journal of Public Economics, May 2006, 90 (4-5): 703-723.
“Representative Democracy and Marginal Rate Progressive Income Taxation,” with Oriol Carbonell-Nicolau
Journal of Public Economics, May 2003, 87 (5-6): 1137-1164.
“On the Popular Support for Progressive Taxation”
Journal of Public Economic Theory, October 2003, 5 (4): 593-604.
“Family Size and Income Inequality in Israel”
Economic Quarterly (in Hebrew), 1999, 46 (3): 492-511.
Work in Progress
"Mostly Deterred: An Episodic Analysis of the Israel-Gaza Conflict," with Alexei Abrahams, Eli Berman, Prabin Khadka, and John Powell, September 2020.
"Long-Term Effects of Political Violence on Attitudes: Evidence from the Second Intifada," with Shahar Lahad and Asaf Zussman, February 2024
"Deterrence through Reaction Curves: An Empirical Analysis of the Israel-Gaza Conflict," with Eli Berman, Prabin Khadka, and Danny Klinenberg, June 2023
INSS Special Reports (in Hebrew)
"Murders in Arab Society: A Quantitative Status Report," August 2023.
"With Eyes Wide Open, Israel Marches Toward Economic Stagnation," with Tomer Fadlon, March 2023.
"Five Year Development Plans for Arab Society in Israel," with Tomer Fadlon, Meir Elran, Ephraim Lavie and Mohammed S. Wattad, November 2022.
"The Israeli Economy in an Uncertain Global Environment," with Tomer Fadlon, August 2022.
"A Simple Policy to Improve the Palestinian Authority Fiscal Outlook," with Haggay Etkes, June 2022.
"Resumed Employment of Gazans in Israel: A Limited Contribution to Employment and Security Stability," with Haggay Etkes, December 2021.
Research Grants
2023-2026: U.S. Department of Defense Minerva Research Initiative (with Eli Berman).
2022-2023: The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel, NIS 40,000 (with Yonatan Berman).
2021-2022: The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel, NIS 40,000 (with Asaf Zussman).
2018-2022: The Israeli Science Foundation, NIS 630,000.
2018-2019: The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel, NIS 40,000.
2015-2018: The Israeli Science Foundation, NIS 510,000.
2014-2016: U.S. Department of Defense Minerva Research Initiative.
2012-2015: The Israeli Science Foundation, NIS 450,000 (with Eric Gould).
2012-2013: The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel, NIS 40,000 (with Eric Gould).
2011-2013: The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel, NIS 65,000 (with Eric Gould).
2011-2012: The Harry Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace, $10,000.
2009-2012: The Israeli Science Foundation, NIS 363,000 (with Eric Gould).
2009-2010: The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel, NIS 82,000 (with Eric Gould).
2008-2012: The European Commission, 7th Framework Programme on Security Economics, EUR 150,000 (with Claude Berrebi).
2008-2010: The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel, NIS 117,500 (with Moses Shayo).
2008-2009: Intramural Funds, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, $6,000.
2006-2008: The Israeli Foundation Trustees $15,000.
2006-2007: The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel, NIS 68,000 (with Moses Shayo).
2006-2007: The Samuel Neeman Institute, Economics of National Security Program, NIS 40,000.
2004-2005: The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel, NIS 53,000 (with Claude Berrebi).
2004-2005: The Israeli Foundation Trustees, $12,500.
1996-1997: The Maurice Falk Institute for Economic Research in Israel, NIS 2,000.
Audio (in Hebrew)
"Terror Attacks and Deterrence" Do the Math Podcast, July 2023.
"The Dictatorship in Argentina" Do the Math Podcast, April 2023.
Main Media Mentions
"Is there a Connection between Poverty and Terrorism?" Globes, January 2024 (in Hebrew).
"Israel Ramps Up Home Demolitions to Fight Terrorism, but at What Price?" The Washington Post, June 2023.
"Do Israeli Policies Deter Violence" IGCC Monthly, October 2021.
"The electoral survey that will make you vote" The Marker, April 2019 (in Hebrew).
"The midterm elections are looming" The Telegraph, November 2018.
"Yogev's Diatribe" The Jerusalem Post, March 2018.
"Does Terrorism Sway Elections?" The Atlantic, April 2017.
"How Terrorism Can Alter Elections." The New York Times, April 2017.
"Why People don't Vote, and What to do About It." Science News, November 2016.
"The Geography of Foreign ISIS Fighters." The Atlantic, August 2016.
"To Defeat Islamic State, Treat Muslims Better." Bloomberg, April 2016.
"Islamic terrorism, backlash, and the assimilation of Muslim immigrants." VOX, December 2015.
"Terror Attacks Divide Muslims and Non-Muslims in the U.S." National Public Radio, December 2015.
"Terror's Toll is More Social Than Economic" The Wall Street Journal, December 2015.
"Supreme Court of Israel - Verdict on Case 7040/15" November 2015 (in Hebrew).
“Why Islamic Terrorists Crave an Anti-Muslim Backlash” Pacific Standard, November 2015.
“When Israel Demolishes a Palestinian Home, Does it Deter Terror or Encourage it?” Forward, November 2015.
“Our Political Decisions are Based More on Emotion than Reason and Logic.” Ha’aretz (in Hebrew), July 2015.
“Voting is Irrational. Emotions Always Win.” The Guardian, May 2015.
“How Empirical Studies of Political Violence (Can) Help Policymakers” The Washington Post, March 2015.
"Terrorists Determining Israeli Elections," Guardian Liberty Voice, February 2015.
“Israel Destroys Homes to Deter Terrorists. A New Study Says It Works - But Is It Moral?” The New Republic, December 2014.
“When disease becomes political: The likely electoral fallout from ebola” Pacific Standard, October 2014.
“Rockets and bombs make Israelis and Palestinians less willing to compromise” The Washington Post, July 2014.
“Study: rocket attacks help the Israeli right win elections” Vox, July 2014.
“New Study Offers Insight on Palestinian Suicide Attacks” The Los Angeles Times, November 2011.
“Exploding Misconceptions” The Economist, December 2010.
“Working and Thinking Longer” The Wall Street Journal, November 2010.
“Bad Economy = Deadlier Terrorists” The New York Times, August 2010.
“Surprising Insights from the Social Sciences” The Boston Globe, August 2009.
"Does Terrorism Work?" The New Republic, June 2009.
“What the Israeli Right Owes to Hamas,” Foreign Policy, February 2009.
“The Middle East Waits for Obama,” RealClearPolitics.com, December 2008.
“Why October Surprises Work,” Foreign Policy, October 2008.
“In Box: The Battle for Hearts and Minds,” Foreign Policy, July / August 2008.
“Be Tzoharei Hayom,” Radio Reshet Bet, April 25, 2008.
“The Balance Sheet of Terror,” The Jerusalem Report, February 18, 2008.
“5 Myths about Terrorism,” The Washington Post, September 11, 2007.
“Odd Numbers,” Portfolio.com, August 2, 2007.
“Radio Kol Chai,” Israel, October 2005.
Honors and Awards
Certificate of Excellence in Teaching, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Faculty of Social Sciences, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2020-2021, 2022-2023
ISDC Prize, 2011, awarded to the best article published in the previous two years using data from the Israeli Social Sciences Data Center
Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship, New York University, 2001-2002
C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics, Publication Incentive Award, 2001
MacCracken Fellowship, New York University, 1997-2002
Hebrew University Grant for Outstanding Students, 1995-1997
Hebrew University Dean’s List, 1993-1997
Hebrew University Grant for International Outstanding Students, 1991-1992
Personal Information
Married with three kids
Citizenship: USA, Israel
Languages: Spanish (mother tongue), fluent in English and Hebrew