University of Haifa Geographer Arnon Soffer Dies at 90

Professor Arnon Soffer, a University of Haifa geographer whose research shaped Israeli public discussion and informed decision-makers, died at age 90. During a career spanning more than five decades, he studied demography, geostrategy and national security. The university’s Chaikin Institute says he played a central role in founding its Geography Department, established the Chaikin Chair for Geostrategy in 2004 and led it until retiring in 2016. His research also examined water resources, Jewish-Arab relations, peripheral development, environmental issues and urban warfare.