Ronen A. Cohen Explained

Ronen Cohen
Alma Mater:Bar-Ilan University
Thesis Title:The Development of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization and Its Struggle Against the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1997–1987
Thesis Url:https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1014137969
Thesis Year:2004
Main Interests:Iranian studies
Workplaces:Ariel University
Website:https://www.ariel.ac.il/wp/mecarc/ronen-a-cohen/

Ronen A. Cohen (Hebrew: רונן א. כהן) is an Israeli scholar of Middle Eastern studies. He is an associate professor at Ariel University, and heads both its Middle Eastern & Central Asian Studies (MECAS) center and Department of Middle Eastern and Political Science Studies.

Cohen's main field of research is contemporary history and politics of Iran and he has written numerous works on the subject including monographs on Iranian organizations the Hojjatieh, the Forqan and the Mojahedin-e Khalq.

Views

Cohen maintains that Ruhollah Khomeini was immensely influenced by Musa al-Sadr, deriving "most of his methods and vision" from his pupil. He credits Iranian Revolution to Sadr, not Khomeini, stating "Khomeini conducted the music, but the music was composed by al-Sadr."

In a June 2013 interview with The Jerusalem Post, Cohen categorically dismissed that the next Iranian president, to-be-elected in 2013 presidential election, may follow a nuclear policy different from his predecessor and said "the president is a clerk, a pawn of the supreme leader".

Writing an opinion piece for Israel Hayom in 2018, Cohen remarked that regime change is inevitable in Iran: "it is just a matter of time before the revolution implodes and blows up in everyone's face".

Published works

Books as author
Book chapters
Books as editor
Selected papers

Notes and References

  1. Rafati. Naysan. 2010. Reviewed Work: The Rise and Fall of the Mojahedin Khalq, 1987–1997: Their Survival after the Islamic Revolution and Resistance to the Islamic Republic of Iran by Ronen A. Cohen . Journal of Islamic Studies. 43. 10. 736–739. 27919949.
  2. Frantzman. Seth J.. 2010. Reviewed Work: The Rise and Fall of the Mojahedin Khalq, 1987–1997. Digest of Middle East Studies. 19. 1. 736–739. 10.1111/j.1949-3606.2010.00024.x.
  3. Lob. Eric. 2016. Reviewed Work: Ronen A. Cohen, Revolution under Attack: The Forqan Group of Iran (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015). International Journal of Middle East Studies. 48. 3. 599–601. 10.1017/S0020743816000611. 164160251 .
  4. Bevers. Michael. 2015. Reviewed Work: Upheavals in the Middle East: The Theories and Practice of a Revolution by Cohen Ronen A.. Journal of Islamic Studies. 26. 3. 343–345. 10.1093/jis/etv035 . 26200408.