Ian Black (15 July 1953 – 22 January 2023) was a British journalist and author whose work focussed on international political issues. He was widely regarded as being skilled at approaching the Arab-Israeli conflict in a non-partisan way. His 2017 book Enemies and Neighbors: Arabs and Jews in Palestine and Israel, 1917-2017 in particular was noted for its even-handed treatment of the subject.
Early life and education
Ian Myles Black was born 15 July 1953 in Sheffield (England) and was the middle of three children of Rita and Wilfrid Black who, like many Jews of that period, had made his way in the garment business.
Black attended Clifton College and Leeds Grammar School. He received an MA in history and social and political science from Emmanuel College, Cambridge and a PhD in government from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Career
Black spent most of his career at The Guardian newspaper, starting in 1980 as a reporter and variously serving as Middle East correspondent, diplomatic editor, European editor and lead writer, and Middle East editor. In 1983 he received a Stern fellowship to work for several months at the Washington Post. According to Madawi al-Rasheed, Black was "both a journalist and an academic, approaching the complex crises that plagued the region with objectivity and integrity.” The New York Times named it one of 3 books to read to understand why moving the US embassy to Jerusalem prompted protests, noting Black's "balanced account". JP O'Malley wrote in The Times of Israel that Black approached accusations of ethnic cleansing of Arabs from Israel in 1948 with "a little more caution and nuance" than the subject was treated by Ilan Pappe. The New Arab called him "hugely respected in the world of media, for his coverage of Palestine and Israel. Michael Daventry, writing in The Jewish Chronicle, called Enemies and Neighbors "an ambitious attempt at even-handedness" and that his balanced approach had "attracted praise from critics", including Israeli political scientist Meron Benvenisti and Palestinian academic Sari Nusseibeh. The Sunday Times called Enemies and Neighbors "an even-handed study of the intractable Arab/Israeli problem".
Awards
In 2010, Black was awarded a Peace through Media Award by the International Council for Press and Broadcasting at the sixth annual International Media Awards in London.
Personal life and death
Black and his wife, Helen Harris, whom he married in 1990, lived in the Golders Green neighborhood of London and had two daughters. He died 22 January 2023, at the age of 69.