Dr. Edy Cohen
Dr. Edy Cohen is an Israeli historian, researcher, and influential media commentator specializing in inter-Arab relations, Islamist terrorism, and the history of Jewish communities in the Arab world.
Dr. Edy Cohen is a prominent Israeli analyst and researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA). Born in Lebanon, Cohen is one of the last Jews to have grown up in the country, an experience that deeply informs his expertise in the nuances of the Arab world. He is widely recognized for his unique ability to communicate directly with Arabic-speaking audiences across the Middle East, often serving as an unofficial digital spokesperson for Israeli perspectives. His work focuses on exposing anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in Arab media, as well as tracking the activities of Islamist terror organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. Cohen is particularly active on social media, where he challenges adversarial narratives and provides real-time analysis of regional developments. In the context of Israeli security, his monitoring of Arab-language discourse provides critical insights into the internal dynamics of Palestinian society and the broader regional response to security events. Most recently, Cohen has been instrumental in documenting the celebratory reactions within Palestinian circles and official Hamas channels following terror attacks in central Israel, highlighting the ongoing incitement and ideological struggle that underpins the physical conflict.