R.I.P. Joseph "Yossi" Kostiner (September 29, 1949-August 19, 2010)

On August 19, 2010, Yossi Kostiner left this world.  He was a longtime faculty member at Tel Aviv University. I first met him 26 years ago, and I have felt a fondness for him ever since.  Yossi was a bridge builder, a man of moderate politics.  His great generosity, humor and intelligence are indelibly etched in my memory.  His historical scholarship, especially on Arab tribes, was widely revered.  Among his respected works is a book that he co-edited with Philip Khoury of MIT, Tribes and State Formation in the Middle East.