Raanan Gissin (born 1949) is an
Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli ...
political scientist, analyst and consultant specializing in the
Arab–Israeli conflict
The Arab–Israeli conflict is an ongoing intercommunal phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century, but had mostly faded out by the ...
. He was senior adviser to
Israeli Prime Minister
The prime minister of Israel ( he, רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, Rosh HaMemshala, Head of the Government, Hebrew acronym: he2, רה״מ; ar, رئيس الحكومة, ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief exe ...
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon (; ; ; also known by his diminutive Arik, , born Ariel Scheinermann, ; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014) was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006.
S ...
and a frequent spokesman for the
Israeli government
The Cabinet of Israel (officially: he, ממשלת ישראל ''Memshelet Yisrael'') exercises executive authority in the State of Israel. It consists of ministers who are chosen and led by the prime minister. The composition of the governmen ...
on
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
,
MSNBC
MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
, and
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
.
Life
Gissin has Israeli Jewish roots with his family going back five generations. Raanan Gissim was born in
Ra'anana
Ra'anana ( he, רַעֲנָנָּה, lit. "Fresh") is a city in the southern Sharon Plain of the Central District of Israel. It was founded in 1922 as an American-Jewish settlement, 1 km south of the village of Tabsur, where an important ...
, Israel, in 1949; thus, the selection of his name. In July, 1949 his parents moved in to found kibbutz
HaSolelim
HaSolelim ( he, הַסּוֹלְלִים, , The Road Builders) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located near Kiryat Tiv'on, Nazareth and Shefa-'Amr, it falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council. In it had a population of ...
. He was born there February 28, 1949.
When my great-grandparents came from Russia a hundred and fifty years ago, my grandfather came with a Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
in one hand and a rifle
A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
in another, and his hand was extended to the Arabs who lived here, some did make business with him and others who fought him had to meet the wrath of his rifle, and that’s how you live in the Middle East.
Education
*1973 B.A., Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
*1975 M.Sc. in Broadcasting Journalism, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
*1979 PhD in Political Science and Public Administration, Syracuse University, New York.
Other involvement
He is featured as an authority in the documentary ''
Relentless: The Struggle for Peace in the Middle East''.
Col. (Res.) Raanan Gissin, PhD., has in recent years become one of Israel's leading spokesmen to the international press on security and strategic issues, and the peace process. Until recently (2001–2006), he served as Foreign Press & Public Adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel.
In 1996, Gissin was appointed Spokesperson for the newly formed Ministry of National Infrastructure headed by Minister Ariel Sharon. He also served as Mr. Sharon's personal Adviser of Public and Media Affairs. He currently serves as a strategic consultant, commentator and lecturer on a variety of topics related to the Middle East, Israel, the war against terror, and media and government relations. In 1998, he became Senior Public Affairs and Media Adviser to Minister of Foreign Affairs Ariel Sharon.
He participated in the conference and negotiations which led to the signing of the
Wye Memorandum in October 1998 in Washington D.C. In 1999, following the change of government, he continued to serve as a special consultant to Ariel Sharon. In 2003, he received the
Louis Brandeis Award of outstanding contribution to
Zionism
Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a Nationalism, nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is ...
and for dedication to the cause of attaining peace and security for the State of Israel. During the period 2001–2006, he has served as Foreign Press & Public Affairs Adviser and reported directly to the Prime Ministers Ariel Sharon and
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert (; he, אֶהוּד אוֹלְמֶרְט, ; born 30 September 1945) is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as the 12th Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009 and before that as a cabinet minister from 1988 to 1992 and ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gissin, Raanan
1949 births
Mass media about the Arab–Israeli conflict
Ariel Sharon
Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni
Israeli Jews
Israeli political scientists
Israeli political writers
Jewish writers
Living people
People from Kiryat Gat
People from Ra'anana
Syracuse University alumni
Spokespersons