Michael J Cohen – författare

The British Mandate over Palestine began just 100 years ago, in July 1920, when Sir Herbert Samuel, the first British High Commissioner to Palestine, took his seat at Government House, Jerusalem. The chapters here analyse a wide cross-section of the conflicting issues --social, political and strategical--that attended British colonial rule over the country, from 1920 to 1948. This anthology contains contributions by several of the most respected Israeli scholars in the field – Arab, Druze and Jewish. It is divided into three sections, covering the differing perspectives of the main ‘actors’ in the ‘Palestine Triangle’: the British, the Arabs and the Zionists. The concluding chapter identifies a pattern of seven counterproductive negotiating behaviours that explain the repeated failure of the parties to agree upon any of the proposals for an Arab-Zionist peace in Mandated Palestine. The volume is a modern review of the British Mandate in Palestine from different perspectives, which makes it a valuable addition to the field. It is a key resource for students and scholars interested in international relations, history of the Middle East, Palestine and Israel.

In 1917, the British issued the Balfour Declaration for military and strategic reasons. This book analyses why and how the British took on the Palestine Mandate. It explores how their interests and policies changed during its course and why they evacuated the country in 1948.During the first decade of the Mandate the British enjoyed an influx of Jewish capital mobilized by the Zionists which enabled them not only to fund the administration of Palestine, but also her own regional imperial projects. But in the mid-1930s, as the clouds of World War Two gathered, Britain’s commitment to Zionism was superseded by the need to secure her strategic assets in the Middle East. In consequence she switched to a policy of appeasing the Arabs. In 1947, Britain abandoned her attempts to impose a settlement in Palestine that would be acceptable to the Arab States and referred Palestine to the United Nations, without recommendations, leaving the antagonists to settle their conflict on the battlefield.Based on archival sources, and the most up-to-date scholarly research, this comprehensive history offers new insights into Arab, British and Zionist policies. It is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Palestine, Israel, British Colonialism and the Middle East in general.

Here is a brief, intelligent, even-handed analytical account of the origins of the Arab-Zionist conflict and its development from early in the twentieth century until 1948, focusing particularly on the period when Britain ruled Palestine under mandate from the League of Nations.

Michael J. Cohen’s Truman and Israel offers a penetrating examination of one of the twentieth century’s pivotal moments: the American president’s role in the founding of the State of Israel. Between 1947 and 1948, Harry S. Truman’s decisions carried extraordinary weight in shaping Israel’s diplomatic future. While historians have long acknowledged his influence, they remain divided over his motivations. Was Truman inspired by biblical sentiment and a sense of destiny, by liberal ideals of democracy in a volatile region, or by the pressures of domestic politics? Cohen’s study tackles these questions head-on, grounding the analysis in Truman’s formative years in the American Midwest and tracing the personal values, prejudices, and loyalties that shaped his worldview. By beginning with Truman’s modest upbringing and hard-won ascent into political life, the book situates foreign policy decisions in the context of a deeply personal moral and social framework.The narrative foregrounds the intimate relationships that played a decisive role in Truman’s Palestine policy. Figures such as Eddie Jacobson, Abe Granoff, Max Lowenthal, and David Niles emerge as key intermediaries who brought the Zionist cause directly into the White House, counterbalancing the pro-Arab inclinations of the State Department. Cohen makes extensive use of private letters, diaries, and interviews—including Lowenthal’s previously unpublished records—to provide an unprecedented view of the political maneuvering, backroom discussions, and personal appeals that influenced Truman’s thinking. At the same time, the book recreates the broader atmosphere of official Washington in the late 1940s, populated by colorful and contentious personalities from James Forrestal to Loy Henderson. By concluding with the resolution of the first Arab-Israeli war and the reluctant consensus that Israel represented a strategic Western asset, Cohen captures the convergence of moral conviction, personal loyalty, and realpolitik that defined Truman’s stance. Truman and Israel thus illuminates the complex interplay between individual character and global diplomacy at a critical historical juncture.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1990.

Michael J. Cohen’s Truman and Israel offers a penetrating examination of one of the twentieth century’s pivotal moments: the American president’s role in the founding of the State of Israel. Between 1947 and 1948, Harry S. Truman’s decisions carried extraordinary weight in shaping Israel’s diplomatic future. While historians have long acknowledged his influence, they remain divided over his motivations. Was Truman inspired by biblical sentiment and a sense of destiny, by liberal ideals of democracy in a volatile region, or by the pressures of domestic politics? Cohen’s study tackles these questions head-on, grounding the analysis in Truman’s formative years in the American Midwest and tracing the personal values, prejudices, and loyalties that shaped his worldview. By beginning with Truman’s modest upbringing and hard-won ascent into political life, the book situates foreign policy decisions in the context of a deeply personal moral and social framework.The narrative foregrounds the intimate relationships that played a decisive role in Truman’s Palestine policy. Figures such as Eddie Jacobson, Abe Granoff, Max Lowenthal, and David Niles emerge as key intermediaries who brought the Zionist cause directly into the White House, counterbalancing the pro-Arab inclinations of the State Department. Cohen makes extensive use of private letters, diaries, and interviews—including Lowenthal’s previously unpublished records—to provide an unprecedented view of the political maneuvering, backroom discussions, and personal appeals that influenced Truman’s thinking. At the same time, the book recreates the broader atmosphere of official Washington in the late 1940s, populated by colorful and contentious personalities from James Forrestal to Loy Henderson. By concluding with the resolution of the first Arab-Israeli war and the reluctant consensus that Israel represented a strategic Western asset, Cohen captures the convergence of moral conviction, personal loyalty, and realpolitik that defined Truman’s stance. Truman and Israel thus illuminates the complex interplay between individual character and global diplomacy at a critical historical juncture.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1990.

Cohen examines the struggle leading to the creation of the state of Israel, placing British evacuation of Palestine in the context of Britain's postwar weakness. The author describes the policies and character of each of the major actors in his story--Bevin. Truman. Ben-Gurion, and the Mufti of Jerusalem. Originally published in 1982. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Cohen examines the struggle leading to the creation of the state of Israel, placing British evacuation of Palestine in the context of Britain's postwar weakness. The author describes the policies and character of each of the major actors in his story--Bevin. Truman. Ben-Gurion, and the Mufti of Jerusalem. Originally published in 1982. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

This collection of articles analyzes the underlying motivation, strategy and interests which lay behind "Great Power" (British and post-World War II American) involvement in Palestine and the Middle East, from 1917 to 1948.

This description of Allied contingency plans for military operations in the Middle East - in the event of conflict with the Soviet Union - argues that diplomatic events and crises in the Middle East in 1945-55 are understandable only in the context of assets sought by the Allies in that region.

Churchill's exalted position in the pantheon of Jewish and Zionist heroes has been almost taken for granted. This book looks beyond the myth and makes a sober reappraisal of the British statesman's attitudes and policies towards the Jews and to Zionism.

The British Mandate over Palestine began just 100 years ago, in July 1920, when Sir Herbert Samuel, the first British High Commissioner to Palestine, took his seat at Government House, Jerusalem. The chapters here analyse a wide cross-section of the conflicting issues --social, political and strategical--that attended British colonial rule over the country, from 1920 to 1948. This anthology contains contributions by several of the most respected Israeli scholars in the field – Arab, Druze and Jewish. It is divided into three sections, covering the differing perspectives of the main ‘actors’ in the ‘Palestine Triangle’: the British, the Arabs and the Zionists. The concluding chapter identifies a pattern of seven counterproductive negotiating behaviours that explain the repeated failure of the parties to agree upon any of the proposals for an Arab-Zionist peace in Mandated Palestine. The volume is a modern review of the British Mandate in Palestine from different perspectives, which makes it a valuable addition to the field. It is a key resource for students and scholars interested in international relations, history of the Middle East, Palestine and Israel.

Churchill's exalted position in the pantheon of Jewish and Zionist heroes has been almost taken for granted. This book looks beyond the myth and makes a sober reappraisal of the British statesman's attitudes and policies towards the Jews and to Zionism.

This collection of articles analyzes the underlying motivation, strategy and interests which lay behind "Great Power" (British and post-World War II American) involvement in Palestine and the Middle East, from 1917 to 1948.

In 1917, the British issued the Balfour Declaration for military and strategic reasons. This book analyses why and how the British took on the Palestine Mandate. It explores how their interests and policies changed during its course and why they evacuated the country in 1948.During the first decade of the Mandate the British enjoyed an influx of Jewish capital mobilized by the Zionists which enabled them not only to fund the administration of Palestine, but also her own regional imperial projects. But in the mid-1930s, as the clouds of World War Two gathered, Britain’s commitment to Zionism was superseded by the need to secure her strategic assets in the Middle East. In consequence she switched to a policy of appeasing the Arabs. In 1947, Britain abandoned her attempts to impose a settlement in Palestine that would be acceptable to the Arab States and referred Palestine to the United Nations, without recommendations, leaving the antagonists to settle their conflict on the battlefield.Based on archival sources, and the most up-to-date scholarly research, this comprehensive history offers new insights into Arab, British and Zionist policies. It is a must-read for anyone with an interest in Palestine, Israel, British Colonialism and the Middle East in general.

Produced biennially, "The World's Water" is the most comprehensive and up-to-date source of information and analysis on freshwater resources. Each new volume examines critical global trends and offers the best data available on a variety of topics related to water. The 2011-2012 edition features chapters on water policy, transboundary waters, and the effects of fossil fuel production on water resources, among other timely issues. Water briefs provide concise updates on topics including bottled water, The Great Lakes Water Agreement, and the state of the Colorado River. "The World's Water" is coauthored by MacArthur 'genius' Peter H. Gleick and his colleagues at the world-renowned Pacific Institute. Since the first volume was published in 1998, the series has become an indispensable resource for professionals in government and nongovernmental organisations, researchers, students, and anyone concerned with water and its use.