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Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Dr. Michael J. Cooper: Renowned Author and Former Pediatric Cardiologist Continues to Captivate Readers with Masterful Storytelling
Dr. Michael J. Cooper, a retired pediatric cardiologist and award-winning author of historical fiction novels, which blend rich storytelling with deep insights into the Middle East's complex history. United States, May 20, 2025 -- From Healer to Masterful Storyteller Dr. Michael J. Cooper, a retired pediatric cardiologist turned author, has captivated readers with his historical fiction novels that explore the intricate and turbulent history of the Middle East. His writing, which blends historical accuracy with compelling storytelling, has earned him widespread recognition and numerous prestigious awards. Dr. Cooper's path to becoming an author is deeply rooted in his personal and professional experiences in the Middle East. Born in Berkeley, California, Cooper immigrated to Israel in 1966, where he lived through the final year of Jerusalem as a divided city. Having spent the next decade living, studying, and working in Israel, his firsthand experiences during this tumultuous time, combined with his medical training at Tel Aviv University, provided him with a profound understanding of the cultural and political dynamics of the region. It is this unique perspective that shapes his novels, which resonate with readers worldwide. Award-Winning Historical Fiction Dr. Cooper's transition from medicine to writing was a natural evolution of his passion for storytelling and understanding the human condition. His debut novel, Foxes in the Vineyard, set during the 1948 Arab Israeli War, won the Grand Prize in the 2011 San Francisco Writers Conference contest. Since then, Cooper's writing career has flourished, with each of his novels earning accolades for their historical depth and emotional impact. His second novel, Wages of Empire, set during World War I in Ottoman Palestine, was recognized with the 2022 Grand Prize for Young Adult Fiction. In January of 2024, it reached #1 on the Amazon bestseller list for Historical WW1 Fiction. The novel's sequel, Crossroads of Empire (2023), won the First Place CIBA Hemingway Award for Wartime Historical Fiction, and ranked #1 in December of 2024 for Historical Middle East Fiction. Both works showcase Cooper's ability to craft compelling narratives that blend historical events with deeply human stories. A fourth novel, The Rabbi's Knight, will be coming out in September of 2025. Set in the Holy Land at the twilight of the Crusades in 1290, it tells the story of a Knight Templar who apprentices himself to a learned rabbi to discover how the secrets of Kabbalah might unlock the secrets of Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Cooper has recently been honored with the prestigious title of 2025 Best Writer of Historical Novels Set in the Middle East. This recognition celebrates his profound storytelling abilities and his ability to bring history to life through captivating narratives. His work continues to inspire readers, offering an immersive experience that transports them to significant historical moments in the Middle East. His unique blend of historical accuracy and compelling fiction has earned him this well-deserved accolade. For more information about the award and Cooper's distinguished achievements, visit the Best of Best Review Award Page. A Writer Who Bridges Cultures and Connects History with the Present Cooper's novels are not just about recounting historical events; they are about exploring the shared humanity that exists across cultures and faiths. His characters, caught in the tumult of conflict, identity, war, and faith, transcend time and place, offering readers a glimpse into the past as well as into the current fraught complexities of the Middle East. His skillful blending of history and fiction provides readers with more than just entertainment—his novels challenge readers to reflect on the broader lessons of history, particularly in a world where conflict and cultural divides continue to shape global conversations. In this manner, his novels resonate with readers who appreciate his ability to bring the past to life in ways that are relevant to today's world. His work invites readers to consider how the lessons of the past can help guide us toward a more peaceful and understanding future. To quote Dr. Cooper, 'Through storytelling, we can bridge the gap between cultures and provide a deeper understanding of one another. It's exactly as the author, Richard Powers put it, 'the best arguments in the world won't change a single person's mind. The only thing that can do that is a good story.' And in the end, that's my goal—to tell good stories—and by that, perhaps to change a few minds.' A Legacy of Compassion and Reconciliation Dr. Cooper's commitment to fostering understanding goes beyond his writing. For the past twenty years, he has volunteered on medical missions in the Middle East, providing care to Palestinian children who lacked access to specialty pediatric cardiology care. This deep-seated commitment to compassion and reconciliation is at the core of his writing, where themes of coexistence and peace are ever-present. With his next novel and prequel, The Rabbi's Knight, set for publication in September 2025, his legacy as a storyteller continues to grow. With each novel, he expands his exploration of the Holy Land's history, weaving a rich tapestry of personal stories and historical events that will continue to captivate and inspire readers around the world. About Dr. Michael J. Cooper Dr. Michael J. Cooper is a retired pediatric cardiologist and award-winning author of historical fiction. His novels, including Foxes in the Vineyard, Wages of Empire, and Crossroads of Empire, have received widespread acclaim for their historical accuracy, emotional depth, and masterful storytelling. Cooper's writing explores the complexities of the Middle East, with a focus on themes of identity, reconciliation, and coexistence. He continues to volunteer in the region, providing medical care to Palestinian children and promoting dialogue and understanding between cultures. Media Contact Michael J. Cooper Email: [email protected] Website: Social Media: Facebook: Michael Cooper Twitter: @mjcoopmd Contact Info: Name: Michael J. Cooper Email: Send Email Organization: Michael J. Cooper Website: Release ID: 89160449 In the event of any inaccuracies, problems, or queries arising from the content shared in this press release, we encourage you to notify us immediately at [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our diligent team will be readily available to respond and take swift action within 8 hours to rectify any identified issues or assist with removal requests. Ensuring the provision of high-quality and precise information is paramount to us.
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Israel Recovers Troves of Documents Belonging to Its Most Famous Spy
For decades, Israel has been trying to recover the remains of Eli Cohen, one of its most famous spies, who was executed in Syria in 1965. While that goal remains elusive, intelligence services and the prime minister's office on Sunday implied that they may have gotten one step closer by acquiring documents and personal affects from Syria that belonged to Mr. Cohen. The trove of 2,500 items includes documents and photographs from Mr. Cohen's years undercover, information about his final moments, personal artifacts taken from his home and handwritten letters to family members, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement. The Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, worked together with an allied foreign government to retrieve the archives, the prime minister's office said. It did not elaborate on which country helped and when exactly it had recovered the documents. It was not clear how the government acquired the documents. During his three years as an undercover agent in Syria in the early 1960s, Mr. Cohen fostered close relationships with top Syrian officials and provided substantial information to Israel, including about Syria's military, its relationship with the Soviet Union and power struggles within the leadership. Syria was Israel's main rival in the region at that time. Two years after his death, Mr. Cohen's information helped Israel achieve victory in the Arab-Israeli war of 1967, also known as the Six-Day War, and seize the Golan Heights from Syria. It was unclear if the documents shed light on where Mr. Cohen was buried. The announcement came just days after President Trump met with the president of Syria, Ahmed al-Shara, in Saudi Arabia as Syria tries to reintegrate itself into the international community. At the meeting, Mr. Trump urged Mr. al-Shara to improve Syrian relations with Israel. In Israel, the announcement about Mr. Eli's documents and personal effects was received as a unifying moment at a time of division between Mr. Netanyahu and the country's intelligence services. 'Everybody can agree it's a good thing,' said Yitzhak Brudny, a professor of history and political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 'It's not controversial.' 'It's a symbolic thing,' Dr. Brudny said. 'Eli Cohen is a symbol of success and failure.' Mr. Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1924, to Syrian Jewish parents. He moved to Israel in 1957 and joined the Israeli military intelligence service three years later. The Mossad sent him to Damascus, where he was to pose as a Syrian businessman. Mr. Cohen befriended top Syrian officials under his new name and identity, Kamel Amin Thaabet. (In 2019, Netflix turned Mr. Cohen's tale into a six-part series.) While working as a spy in Damascus, Mr. Cohen sent dispatches in Morse code to his Israeli bosses. He was caught after the Syrian Army intercepted one of his messages. Though there had been claims that Mr. Cohen transmitted to his Israeli handlers too often, David Barnea, the director of the Mossad, said in 2022 that Mr. Cohen was caught 'simply because his transmissions were intercepted and triangulated by the enemy.' In January 1965, the Syrian authorities arrested, interrogated and tortured Mr. Cohen for about a month until his trial. He was sentenced to death and publicly hanged in Syria in May 1965, at Marja Square in Damascus, his body swaying on the rope for hours. It was not the first time that the Mossad had dedicated significant time and resources to recovering some of Mr. Cohen's belongings. In 2018, Israeli intelligence recovered a wrist watch that belonged to Mr. Cohen in a complex operation in Damascus. Nadia Cohen, Mr. Cohen's wife, has long campaigned for the return of her husband's remains so that a proper burial could take place. Sophie Ben-Dor, Mr. Cohen's daughter, on Monday reiterated the need for the return of her father's remains in an interview with the Israeli news site Ynet. She said it wasn't just about recovering his bodily remains, but 'about a country's moral duty to look after its people.'
The National
15-05-2025
- General
- The National
Nakba Day: The stories of Palestinian women who lived through the catastrophe of 1948
Nearly eight decades after the Nakba – the mass displacement of Palestinians that led to the establishment of the state of Israel – its impact continues to shape the lives of millions in Palestine and the diaspora. Historians argue that the Nakba began with the signing of the Balfour Declaration in 1917, in which the British promised Jews a homeland in Palestine. Others say it began in earnest in November 1947, six months before Israel's declaration of independence and the subsequent Arab-Israeli War. While there is debate on its exact starting point, there is no dispute over its legacy: an estimated 500 villages and towns depopulated and partially, if not completely, demolished; more than 750,000 Palestinians – about two thirds of the population at the time – having either fled or been forcibly removed from their homes, and a national trauma passed down through generations. This year, on May 15, as Palestinians mark 77 years since their dispossession in 1948, The National spoke to three women who lived through the Nakba as children. These are their stories: Aisha Abu Sultan was 11 years old when she and her family were forced to flee their home to escape the encroaching Israeli military and walk to Gaza for safety. It was October 1948, five months after the establishment of the state of Israel and the new army was quickly capturing more and more land to expand the nation's borders. 'It was dark days when we left,' says Abu Sultan. From their home in Hamama, they walked to Jabalia in Gaza, where they spent a night. After being told the fighting had ceased, they attempted to return to Hamama but were fired upon by the Israeli forces who had advanced into the area – so they went back the way they came. Back in Gaza, which was a much larger area at the time when compared to the current diminishing strip, they slept beneath an olive tree beside a school for about 20 days before the approaching winter months meant they had to find somewhere more permanent to live and accept that their home had been lost forever. The family would move several more times – living in tents they bought in Rafah, in cemeteries by a hospital or in farmland among cows – before settling in Al Shati Refugee Camp. Once she married, Abu Sultan moved to Jabalia. 'No matter how difficult it was, it's nothing like the Nakba we're experiencing today,' she says. Abu Sultan is living in the remains of her home in Jabalia, after being displaced at least three times in the past 18 months of Israeli bombardment on Gaza before returning. 'Hunger is killing us, fear is killing us, there's nowhere to stay,' she says. 'There are no nations to take pity on us and no one to acknowledge us. There is no light, no food. Where have the Arabs gone? 'I wish people would just have compassion for us and for countries to stand together and to stop what's happening,' she tells The National. Comparing the experience of the Nakba to the current war on Gaza, Abu Sultan says 'Initially we were told we would only have to leave [Hamama] for 15 days. 'We experienced hunger, we experienced poverty, but we didn't experience fear. If someone went into town, they would bring us a bag of wheat or a few things. It's not like today … we have never seen days like this in all history, not from the British, the Ottomans or the Egyptians.' During the Nakba, Abu Sultan and her family fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Her mother, who was pregnant, carried her. 'Some were carrying their children, others took their cows or donkeys. We left with nothing. Yes, it was difficult but it wasn't like this. 'It wasn't this expensive. There were fewer people and they were kind. [In the Nakba], we were a family of seven that fled, but now, between me and my children and their children, we could be around 100 people.' Hamama was a Palestinian town with a population of more than 5,000. The vast majority were Muslims, with a very small Jewish community and even fewer Christians, according to a 1945 census. The agricultural village, about 24km north of Gaza, was among hundreds that were depopulated between 1947-1949. The state of Israel was established in May 1948, once the British Mandate on Palestine lifted. Today, the ruins of Hamama can be found in the north of the Israeli city of Ashkelon. 'It was a paradise. We would see horses in the fields. They would transport the grapes [we grew] in cars to Jaffa along with cucumbers, marrow, bags of pistachio,' Abu Sultan says fondly of her life in Hamama. Unlike many other villages and towns – including Jaffa, Haifa, Deir Yassine, Al Lydd and Ramle where hundreds of Palestinians were killed or taken captive – the capture of Hamama by the Israeli army and initial Jewish militias was not as violent. 'They told us the village head man was shot and killed,' she says, but many of the villagers left in anticipation of the Israeli advance as the defending Egyptian forces retreated. Today, Abu Sultan lives with a few of her children and their families in the remains of their crumbled home. In place of walls, they have hung sheets for privacy. 'Where should we stay? We don't have money to rent so where would we go? My eye hurts but we don't have shekels to spend. 'We don't even have flour. I'll never forget what has happened here. Who could forget this?' Abu Sultan has six daughters and five sons – each of whom married and had children. Some of her grandchildren have also since married and had their own children, making her a great-grandmother. 'I always tell them about our home and where we lived. The Israelis came and took everything,' she says, eager for the next generations to know their history. Many of her family members have been killed in the current war, including one of her granddaughters, her brother, and her niece's son – though she struggles to keep track of them all at times due to her age, she says tearfully. A further five or so members of her husband's family were also killed. Despite the hardship she endured in her youth, she says nothing compares to what they are living through today. It has only made her long for life before the occupation. 'I wish just to return to Hamama and die.' At 88 years old, Julia Hanna Halteh's childhood might seem like a lifetime ago, but the memories of displacement, poverty and fear remain fresh in her mind. Originally from Al Lydd, near what became Tel Aviv, the Haltehs were part of a Christian minority of 1,840 people that made up the city's total population of 16,780. According to a 1945 census, just 20 of the inhabitants of Al Lydd – now known as Lod – were Jewish. Halteh's father was a rich merchant. Their house was luxurious with a lush garden that bore fruits such as apples, berries, grapes and apricots to feed the family. 'We lived like kings,' she says. But the last time she saw her home, or the inside of a classroom, was at the tender age of 12 – in 1948 – when Israeli soldiers invaded her world, and her hometown, which has remained occupied since then. Her brother's knowledge of Hebrew bought the family some time before they took what they could from their belongings, just like everyone else around them, and left their home into the unknown. 'My brother spoke to the soldier and asked him if we could stay. The soldier gave us a paper and said we could – but my mother did not trust the way they had been treating the Arabs. So we left out of fear.' They walked for what seemed like days. Everything was a question. Where would they go? How would they survive? What would their future look like? Everything was a gamble. But they were not alone and only a small part of a wave of mass displacement. 'People would die on the way and get buried where they fell. The soldiers searched everybody who passed through. They shot and killed a man who had been married for three months, when they asked him for money, and he refused to give it to them,' she tells The National. Eventually, Halteh and her family ended up in Ramallah, where making ends meet was difficult. Her mother encouraged her to learn to sew, in place of a formal education because school was too expensive for the newly-displaced family who lost everything they had during the Nakba. Her two brothers, who were also forced to drop out of school, found work at a kiosk selling cigarettes. Her father, with no access to his merchandise, had no money to provide for his family. After losing hope of finding prosperity in Palestine, the brothers decided to find work in Jordan. 'They opened a liquor store,' she says. The two brothers eventually found success, turning their small shop into a restaurant, which they named after their family. Soon afterwards, the brothers managed to make enough money to pay for an apartment to bring their family from Ramallah to Amman. Ms Halteh's new life would begin after leaving behind everything she knew and the life her father had worked hard to create for his children. Later, she married and resettled in Madaba, Jordan, where she still lives. Life has become relatively peaceful in Jordan. Despite this, Ms Halteh longs for the days of the past. 'Is there anything more valuable than a person's home and country?' Even decades after it happened – and the hardship she lived through – Ms Halteh's rues her lost childhood. 'This is the one big regret of my life that I have to this day. The day I left school.' Many Palestinians still have the key to the homes they built with their own hands – evidence that they are the rightful owners. Ms Halteh's family home in Al Lydd has been occupied by settlers. 'It was taken over by the Israelis and divided among them. The living room was split into two parts. They took out the trees and destroyed everything. 'It's all gone. There's nothing to go back to.' Badea Hanna Barhoomeh was born on May 15, 1945 – a date that would, just three years later, come to symbolise the profound loss experienced by Palestinians: the Nakba. Among those forced from their homes was Barhoomeh's family, expelled by militias that would later become the Israeli military. Though she was only three at the time, the memory of their displacement from Ajami, Jaffa, was passed down vividly through the stories told by her mother, Labibeh, who Barhoomeh, now 80, describes as both a fearless patriot and a great cook. 'It was a very painful and difficult displacement and, even though I only lived it through my mother, it was our life story sitting around the fireplace and hearing her tell us stories about the Palestinian migration,' she says. Barhoomeh's family journeyed on foot for three days, leaving behind their home in Jaffa to reach Al Lydd, before continuing to Ramallah and eventually settling in Amman, Jordan, a year and a half later. She has lived there ever since, dedicating the past five decades to volunteer work and leading a relief committee that helps rebuild homes for disadvantaged people in refugee camps. When they left Jaffa, her father carried her sister and she walked along her pregnant mother, while the rest of her family followed. The trip was long, and the road was unforgiving on their bare feet and tattered slippers. By the time they reached Al Lydd to reunite with her 74-year-old grandfather, he had died. 'People were terrified and they were forced to take their family and leave with dignity, and even then, on the way, we barely survived,' she says. At first, her family had resisted leaving – despite the growing pressure. But when militias began attacking homes in their neighbourhood, they feared they would be next and fled. Before the Nakba, Jaffa was a thriving, diverse city. In 1945, it had a population of 94,310, with 50,880 Muslims, 28,000 Jews, and 15,400 Christians. It was designated as part of the Arab state in the 1947 UN partition plan due to its large Muslim population. But on April 25, 1948, the Zionist paramilitary group Irgun launched an offensive on the city. More than 20 tonnes of explosives were fired into Jaffa, according to historians. Simultaneously, Haganah forces advanced on villages surrounding the city, cutting off reinforcements. Panic gripped the residents and the majority fled by land or sea. The city surrendered just before a day before what would become Nakba Day. Those Palestinians who remained were confined to the Ajami district and forced to live under martial law. Jaffa was renamed Yafo and merged with the newly established Israeli city of Tel Aviv-Yafo. Leaving home was heartbreaking, particularly for Barhoomeh's mother, who often spoke of their two-bedroom house, its beautiful garden, and a kitchen where guests loved to gather. Though just a toddler, Barhoomeh recalls her mother's sewing machine, draped in a Broderick fabric, used to embroider Palestinian tatreez on to their clothes. Like many others, the family left everything behind, believing they would one day return. 'A phrase that all Palestinians say is, 'the key remains in our pocket and we will return and open our houses and live in them',' she says. The family left in search of peace and safety but what they found on arrival to Al Lydd was the same catastrophe they had just fled. 'It was a real struggle. On the way, we couldn't find a drop of water, and we used to sleep as the air strikes went over our heads,' she recalls. Her father scavenged watermelon rinds for them to chew in search of moisture. She recalls a woman who walked beside them while gently cradling a pillow, only to realise – in her state of shock – that she had left her baby behind. 'My mother said many people collapsed and died from hunger and thirst. When my mother told us these stories, it was as if we lived it. We would cry with her and share her grief,' she says. Despite the pain, Barhoomeh recognised from a young age the importance of these stories. They rooted her in a legacy of resilience and belonging. 'We grew up in a household where my mom breastfed us the milk of Palestine, and we have breastfed it to our children,' she says. 'I don't think a time will come where Palestine will be forgotten, that is impossible. It lives in us, our memory, behaviour, and even in our clothing and traditions.' She believes every Palestinian displaced in 1948 carries a dream of return. Her parents did until the day they died. Though she has made a life in Amman – where her family was granted Jordanian citizenship and welcomed with dignity – Barhoomeh still longs for the land her family was forced to leave behind. 'They took us in with respect, opened their houses and helped us,' she says of Jordan and its people. As war continues in Gaza with no clear end in sight, she mourns the loss of nearly 60,000 lives in what many call the continuing Nakba. 'We are living at a standstill and all Palestinians and Arabs are waiting for the day our country is freed and we return not only to Palestine, but to the holy lands that have been taken away from us.'
Jordan Times
22-04-2025
- General
- Jordan Times
UNRWA students in Jordan share hopes, dreams with women Nobel Peace Prize laureates
AMMAN — Palestine refugee students at an UNRWA school in Jerash Camp in Jordan have shared their hopes and dreams with Nobel Peace Prize laureates Jody Williams and Tawakkol Karman, who pledged to make their voices heard globally Williams and Karman sat down with students at UNRWA Jerash Preparatory Girls School No.1 during an April 12 visit to the camp, according to an UNRWA statement. The visit was part of a delegation to the West Bank and Jordan by the Nobel Women's Initiative, an organisation led by eight women who have won the Nobel Peace Prize, which also included meetings with UNRWA staff in Amman and a virtual connection to Gaza. 'I speak today not just for myself but for every girl in Jerash Camp. We were in a place the world often forgets but we aren't forgotten,' said ninth-grader Jana Amjad Ibraheem. 'Life here, in the camp, isn't easy. The opportunities are few and the challenges are many, but we wake up every day carrying dreams bigger than the walls around us. We study with passion; we work with purpose,' she said. The ninth-grader added that she believes in striving to build her future in the face of steep challenges. Jerash Camp was founded in 1968 for 11,500 Palestinians who were forced to flee to Jordan from the Gaza Strip after the 1967 Arab Israeli War. Known locally as 'Gaza Camp', it is now home to 36,500 people, who are among the most economically vulnerable of the 2.4 million registered Palestine Refugees supported by UNRWA's work in Jordan. 'You're women who challenged the world and won, you're more than visitors to us, you're an inspiration to us,' said ninth-grader Jana Al Duhainy. 'We aren't asking the world to open its doors for us, we are building our own doors. And we will walk through them with pride because we weren't born to wait for miracles, we were born to become them,' Duhainy added. The delegation also met with members of the local committees that UNRWA works with to prevent and tackle gender-based violence and held a dialogue focused on women-led initiatives in the camp and the collective efforts to support and empower Palestine Refugee women. They also visited the UNRWA Health Centre in Jerash Camp to learn more about the agency's healthcare services, with a focus on the maternity programme and women's health. UNRWA's role in Jordan extends beyond the provision of basic services; the agency also works to foster social cohesion and economic independence of Palestine refugees in support of Jordan's stability. Karman, who received the prize in 2011 for leading a nonviolent struggle for women's rights and democracy in Yemen, expressed her solidarity with the Palestinian people. 'We are here, to hear you, in Palestine and in Jordan,' she said. 'We will carry your, and other Palestinian women's, voices to the world.' 'This visit has shown us the importance of the continuation and funding of UNRWA's mandated work for the Palestinian people," she added. Williams, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for leading the international campaign to ban landmines, said: 'Each and every woman we have met on our delegation here in Jordan—and in the days before in Palestine—inspires us deeply.' 'Your courage, resilience, and determination to fight for justice fuel our commitment to stand in solidarity and continue the struggle together. It is an honor to be with you and hear you. I pledge to we will be nominating you for the Nobel Peace Prize,' Williams added. The delegation also had an opportunity to meet with women entrepreneurs in the camp, one managing an artisan clothing and embroidery business and the other making traditional food. UNRWA's provides support to Palestine Refugee women to start small businesses and achieve financial independence. Eman Mohammad Saeed Obeid, who makes and sells dishes such as stuffed vine leaves, was asked by the visitors who her main competitors are. 'Nobody! When anyone tastes my food, they know it's the best,' she said, smiling, as she sat alongside her young daughter and her husband, a Gaza-born former street vendor who can no longer work easily after having to have his leg amputated following an accident in Jerash. The Jerash visit highlighted the resilience and determination of Palestine Refugee women and girls, and the critical role UNRWA plays in supporting them and the rest of their community through education, health, protection, and economic empowerment.
