Ran HaCohen

Dr. Ran HaCohen was born in the Netherlands in 1964 and grew up in Israel. He has a B.A. in computer science, an M.A. in comparative literature, and a Ph.D. in Jewish studies. He is a university teacher in Israel. He also works as a literary translator (from German, English, and Dutch). HaCohen's work has been published widely in Israel. "Letter From Israel" appears occasionally at Antiwar.com.

Mideast War – Really Imminent?

Mideast War – Really Imminent? By now, a war in the Middle East will not catch anybody by surprise. Predictions have been so persistent, that the actual surprise is that the war has not started yet. Some people, not necessarily optimistic by nature, start wondering whether a war is really imminent. Why should Sharon make … Continue reading “Mideast War – Really Imminent?”

The State of the Army, Part Two

So how did it go? The Mitchell Report recommended a cease-fire and freeze of all settlements activities. As spin, Sharon announced a "cease-fire" to push aside the issue of settlements. Then we had the Palestinian suicide bomb killing 21 young Israelis in Tel-Aviv, and it was Arafat’s turn to announce a cease-fire, which precluded the … Continue reading “The State of the Army, Part Two”

Building Settlements, Killing Peace

In a perfectly calculated spin, Prime Minister Sharon unilaterally declared "cease fire" last Tuesday (22.5). He did not announce it in the press conference that day, but made it known indirectly several hours later, giving even more bubble-gum for the columnists to chew: Did he forget to mention it (as his assistants say)? Or did … Continue reading “Building Settlements, Killing Peace”

The State of the Army, Part 1

"In Israel, every human being is a soldier, and every soldier – a human being," went a famous old saying ascribed to David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founder and first prime minister. In the pre-sound-bite era, when lengthy and complex slogans were tolerated, this was an effective phrasing to obscure the tension between Israel’s democratic self-image and … Continue reading “The State of the Army, Part 1”

Israeli Left Sells Out Peace

In a previous column we have seen how Barak united an overwhelming majority of Israelis behind the dangerous conviction that "The Enemy Does Not Want Peace." By now, this has been affirmed empirically: According to the findings of a Peace Index survey conducted by Tel Aviv University’s Tami Steinmetz Centre for Peace Research, 72 percent … Continue reading “Israeli Left Sells Out Peace”

BARAK’S LEGACY

Israel is presently experiencing a clear return to the past. The younger generation – Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, born in the 1940’s – was forced out of the political arena, and the older generation – Ariel Sharon (as Prime Minister) and Shimon Peres (as Foreign Minister), born in the 1920’s – returned to power. … Continue reading “BARAK’S LEGACY”