Geulah Cohen

Geulah Cohen was born in Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine to a Mizrahi Jewish family of Yemenite, Moroccan and Turkish origin. She studied at the Levinsky Teachers Seminary, and earned a master's degree in Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Literature and Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1942 she joined the Irgun, and moved to Lehi the following year. As a radio announcer for the organization, she was arrested by British military authorities in 1946 while broadcasting in Tel Aviv. She escaped custody in May, shortly before her trial, and was helped in her escape by a number of Arab villages as described in her memoirs of the period but was recaptured. Imprisoned in Bethlehem, she escaped in 1947. From 1961 to 1973, she wrote for the Israeli newspaper Maariv and served on its editorial board. During her career as a journalist, she visited Menachem Mendel Schneerson in New York, who encouraged her to focus on engaging with Israeli youth. Cohen died on 18 December 2019, at the age of 93. She was buried at the Mount of Olives Jewish Cemetery in Jerusalem. ==Political career==

In 1972, Cohen joined Menachem Begin's Herut party, As an opponent of the Camp David Accords and the return of Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, Cohen was thrown out of the Knesset during Begin's presentation of the agreement. Cohen retained her seat in the 1981 elections, and Tehiya joined Begin's coalition government. Cohen lost her seat in the 1992 elections. That year, she rejoined Likud and remained active in right-wing politics. Her son, Tzachi Hanegbi, is a former Knesset member for the Likud. ==Views and opinions==

Cohen opposed territorial concessions. She was a vocal critic of the Camp David Accords in 1978 and of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan from Gaza in 2005. She described herself as a "woman of violence" in the pursuit of political ends. ==Awards and recognition==

• In 2003, Cohen was awarded the Israel Prize for her lifetime achievements and special contribution to society and the State of Israel. • In 2007, she received the Yakir Yerushalayim (Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem) award from the city of Jerusalem. ==Published work==

• Story of a Warrior (1961; Hebrew autobiography) • (autobiography) • Historical Meeting (1986) (Hebrew) • Ein li koah lehiyot ayefa ("No Strength To Be Tired"; 2008) ==References==