Hillel Cohen

Hillel Cohen was born in 1961 in Jerusalem

Cohen was born in Jerusalem on 5 October 1961 to a family of Afghan and Ashkenazi origin. He briefly studied at a vocational yeshiva and a high school yeshiva and left school at 15. He then wandered through villages around Jerusalem and Judea, stayed as a guest, and learned Arabic.

He was among the early members of the Beit El B yeshiva but spent much time in nearby Palestinian villages and the Jalazone refugee camp. After his army service he took a tiling course and worked in construction in Jerusalem while completing his matriculation. During his bachelor's studies he guided youth at risk.

He became the correspondent for the territories and East Jerusalem at the weekly Kol Ha'ir. During the First Intifada he volunteered at HaMoked in East Jerusalem, and after the Second Intifada he was active in Ta'ayush and in the Sons of Abraham group in Hebron.

Cohen is an associate professor in the Department of Islam and Middle East Studies at the Hebrew University and headed the department from 2018 to January 2021. He also headed the Cherrick Center for the Study of Zionism. His books deal with internal Palestinian refugees, Palestinian collaborators, Israeli security services, Arab Jerusalem and the events of 1929.

His book on 1929 drew debate and won the Yitzhak Ben-Zvi Prize. He later published a memoir about his encounters with Palestinians. He lives in Jerusalem, is married and has 3 children.