Jonathan R. Cohen

Jonathan Raphael Cohen[1] is an American diplomat and most recently served as the United States Ambassador to Egypt from November 17, 2019 to March 31, 2022. He previously served as the United States Deputy Representative to the United Nations. From August 2016 to June 2018 he served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.[2] He was nominated by President Donald Trump in early 2018 to become United States Deputy Representative to the United Nations and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on May 24, 2018.[3][4] On January 1, 2019, Cohen assumed acting duties of Ambassador to the United Nations following the resignation of Nikki Haley the previous day; with the installation of her successor Kelly Craft in September, he relinquished those duties.

Jonathan Cohen
Cohen in 2018
United States Ambassador to Egypt
In office
November 17, 2019 – March 31, 2022
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byRobert S. Beecroft
Succeeded byNicole Shampaine (acting)
United States Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations
In office
June 8, 2018 – November 17, 2019
PresidentDonald Trump
LeaderNikki Haley
Kelly Craft
Preceded byKelley Eckels Currie (acting)
Succeeded byRichard M. Mills Jr.
Acting United States Ambassador to the United Nations
In office
January 1, 2019 – September 12, 2019
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byNikki Haley
Succeeded byKelly Craft
Personal details
BornPalo Alto, California, U.S.
Alma materPrinceton University (BA)

On April 11, 2019, President Trump nominated Cohen to be Ambassador of the United States to Egypt.[5] Cohen was confirmed by the Senate in August and presented his credentials to the Egyptian government on November 17, 2019.[6]

Early life and education

Cohen is the son of Harry B. Cohen (March 1, 1938 – August 21, 2013)[7] and Adrienne M. Cohen. Jonathan and his younger brother Sascha were raised in Northern California, where their father was a colleague of William C. Dement at the Stanford University Center for Sleep Sciences And Medicine. Their father, who earned a doctorate in psychology from McGill University in 1963, left Stanford in 1972 to join the faculty of the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.[8] Harry Cohen later served as the director of mental health services for Orange County, California.[9]

In 1985, Jonathan Cohen received a B.A. in politics from Princeton University.[10] His senior thesis in Near Eastern Studies was entitled A Last Chance to Brighten the Faint Gleam of Peace: Direct Negotiations, the Arab Option for Regaining Sovereignty on the West Bank.[11] After graduating from Princeton, Cohen studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on a grant from the Israeli government, and later at Georgetown University.[10][12]

Career

Cohen has served in various diplomatic positions representing the United States, beginning in 1986 when he entered the Foreign Service Institute. He served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus, from 2008 to 2011, Minister Counselor for Political Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Paris from 2011 to 2013, and also served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq from 2013 to 2016.[13] He also previously served in many roles in embassies or consulates in Bangkok, Jerusalem, Vienna, Stockholm, Ankara and Rome.

He was promoted to the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, covering Cyprus, Greece and Turkey in August 2016. During his tenure as Deputy Assistant Secretary, Cohen met with Bartholomew I of Constantinople, and argued before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe that the U.S. should work with Turkey to limit Iranian and Russian influence in the region.[14][15]

On February 13, 2018, President Donald Trump formally nominated Cohen to serve as the Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, set to succeed Michele Sison if confirmed by the United States Senate.[16] Cohen was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on May 24, 2018 and was sworn in on June 8, 2018.[17] On January 1, 2019, Cohen assumed acting duties of Ambassador to the United Nations following the resignation of Nikki Haley the previous day. He held the position until he was succeeded by Ambassador Kelly Craft.[18]

On April 11, 2019, President Trump nominated Cohen to be Ambassador of the United States to Egypt.[5] On August 1, 2019, the Senate confirmed his nomination by voice vote.[19] He presented his credentials and took charge of the embassy upon his arrival to Egypt on November 17, 2019.[6]

Personal life

Cohen speaks French, Swedish, and Italian.[20]

See also

References
  1. U.S. Congress (January 2013). "PN1970 — Foreign Service". Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  2. United States Department of State. "Biography". Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  3. The White House. "Eight Nominations Sent to the Senate Today". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved February 26, 2018 – via National Archives.
  4. U.S. Congress. "PN1621 — Jonathan R. Cohen — Department of State". Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  5. "Eight Nominations and One Withdrawal Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved April 12, 2019 – via National Archives.
  6. "New US ambassador arrives in Cairo". Egypt Independent. November 19, 2019. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  7. Los Angeles Times. "Harry Bruce Cohen". Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  8. Laguna Beach Independent. "Dr. Harry Bruce Cohen". Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  9. Orange County Register. "Harry Bruce Cohen". Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  10. "Ambassador Jonathan R. Cohen | usun.state.gov". usun.state.gov. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  11. Princeton University (1985). "Undergraduate Senior Theses, 1924-2018". Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  12. "New US ambassador arrives in Cairo". Egypt Independent. November 19, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  13. The White House. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved February 26, 2018 – via National Archives.
  14. United States Department of State (November 16, 2017). "Testimony by Jonathan R. Cohen at the U.S. Helsinki Commission". Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  15. The Ecumenical Patriarchate. "Visit of U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Jonathan R. Cohen to the Ecumenical Patriarchate". Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  16. Inner City Press. "At UN, Jonathan Cohen Tapped by Trump as Haley's Deputy Amid Stalled UN Reforms, Sanctions Qs, Censorship". Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  17. "Ambassador Jonathan R. Cohen | usun.state.gov". usun.state.gov. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  18. Fortin, Jacey (August 1, 2019). "Kelly Craft Is Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to United Nations". The New York Times.
  19. "PN616 — Jonathan R. Cohen — Department of State". United States Congress. August 1, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  20. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Nominations of Individuals to Key Administration Posts". The White House. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
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