Scienceרפאל ישראלי

Raphael Israeli

Raphael Israeli is an Israeli historian and orientalist, a professor emeritus of Islamic, Middle Eastern and Chinese history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

born 1935Research on Islam in ChinaMiddle Eastern and Islamic historyControversial views on Muslim immigration

Born: 15 September 1935, Fez
Occupation: orientalist, university teacher, sinologist, historian
Education: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of California, Berkeley

Raphael Israeli was born in 1935 in Fez

Raphael Israeli was born in 1935 to a Jewish family in Fez, Morocco. The family moved to Israel in 1949.

He served for 12 years as a career officer in IDF Military Intelligence before turning to academic work.

He studied Arabic and history at the Hebrew University and finished his first degree in 1963. At the University of California, Berkeley, he earned an MA in East Asian history in 1970, studied Chinese in Taiwan for about a year, and received a PhD in Chinese and Islamic history in 1974.

From 1974 he taught Chinese history and Islamic culture at the Hebrew University and was a research fellow at the Truman Institute. He chaired the university's department of East Asian studies from 1992 to 1996 and was a visiting professor in several countries. He wrote many books and over 100 scholarly articles.

His views on Muslims and Arabs drew controversy. In 2007 his remarks on Muslim immigration in Australia were condemned, and the Anti-Defamation League criticized his 2017 book on the Arab minority in Israel.

Milestones in Raphael Israeli's life

1935
Born in Fez, Morocco.
1949
Moved with his family to Israel.
1963
Completed his first degree at the Hebrew University.
1970
Received an MA in East Asian history from Berkeley.
1974
Earned a PhD at Berkeley and began teaching at the Hebrew University.
1992
Became chair of the department of East Asian studies.
2004
Testified as an expert witness for the state in the case against the Islamic Movement.
2007
His remarks on Muslim immigration drew controversy in Australia.
2017
Published a book on the Arab minority in Israel.