Cheryl A. Rubenberg, independent analyst and former associate professor of political science at Florida International University, died on 16 June 2017 at age seventy-one. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, she earned her bachelor's in political science from Hunter College, her master's in international relations from Johns Hopkins University, and her Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Miami (1979). After a year at Florida Atlantic University, she joined the political science faculty at Florida International University. A student who took her class on American government wrote that Professor Rubenberg “changed my life forever” by exposing the business interests that motivate leaders of American government and media.

Cheryl began her career researching Latin America, but changed her focus to Palestine after visiting a refugee camp in Beirut before the expulsion of the PLO. She wrote several pioneering books, including Israel and the American National Interest: A Critical Examination (University of Illinois Press, 1989), Palestinian Women: Patriarchy and Resistance in the West Bank (Lynne Rienner, 2001), and The Palestinians: In Search of a Just Peace (Lynne Rienner, 2003). She also edited the three-volume Encyclopedia of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Lynne Rienner, 2010), the contributors to which comment on her energy, intelligence, fairness, meticulous attention to detail, and sense of humor. According to John Quigley, a leading scholar on the Arab–Israeli conflict, her analysis of US policy on the Middle East is the best there is.

In 1989, Cheryl decided to spend a year in Gaza to experience the daily struggles of average Palestinians firsthand. She taught English classes and lived in a small apartment that became a gathering place for students, who enjoyed her cooking, discussed politics and religion, and sang national songs. Cheryl's husband, Dr. Martin (“Marty”) Rubenberg, visited and volunteered his services as an oncologist at a local hospital. Together they raised scholarship money for four Palestinian students to attend the University of Calgary. Another student, Ayman Wishah, lived with the Rubenbergs while attending Florida Atlantic University and was then adopted, becoming a permanent member of the family.

Cheryl paid a heavy price for her work on behalf of Palestinians, drawing the ire of many students, faculty, and community members who passionately supported the current configuration of Israeli statehood. Students boycotted her classes, she and Marty were shunned at the synagogue, and Marty's medical practice suffered. Despite receiving the highest recommendation from her department and dean, Cheryl was denied promotion to full professor, which led to her resignation from the university. Ayman Wishah, now a forensic and clinical psychologist, writes, “My mother was the most moral human being I ever met. She always spoke truth to power—even when she knew there could be a price to pay. She was not willing to compromise her beliefs and values, even when her own career and livelihood were threatened. She believed each one of us has the ability to change the world by changing one life at a time. She was a remarkable human being and never sought any kind of recognition or accolades. It brought her joy when she was able to ease people's pain and suffering.”

Another student she mentored writes, “Cheryl Rubenberg was a beloved friend and mom. Her intelligence and spirit inspired my work and my study. Her instruction in English and her assistance in my application for Canadian citizenship helped to shape my life.” Another describes her as “the only person who actually understood the Palestinian issue” and says, “She saved my life.” A Palestinian colleague writes, “This extremely secular Jewish woman radiated spirituality through writing, service, and personal and family life.”

Cheryl's husband, Marty, died in June 2016. She is survived by her son, Scott Rubenberg, his wife and their two children, and by Ayman Wishah and his wife and two children. She will be remembered for her meticulous scholarship, her keen intelligence, her courage, her graciousness, her generosity, and her deep commitment to Palestinian human rights.Footnote ¹