Arnon Soffer, an Israeli geographer and demographer whose work influenced public debates over population and territory, died Aug. 14, 2026, at 90, Radio Haifa 107.5FM reported.
He joined the newly established University of Haifa as a lecturer in 1965, helped found its geography program and became department head in 1970. His doctoral research examined the location of industry in Haifa Bay. He later co-produced the 1980 Atlas of Haifa and the Carmel, linking geographic research with regional planning.
Beginning in 1978, Soffer taught at Israel’s National Defense College, which trains military commanders and senior public officials, as well as at other senior command schools. He became head of the college’s research center in 2007 and held the post until 2014.
His demographic reports warned that population trends could threaten Israel’s Jewish and democratic character. The work became part of the country’s debate over territorial separation and the policy environment surrounding Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza.
In 2004, Soffer founded the University of Haifa’s Chaikin Institute for Geo-Strategy and led it until retiring in 2016. The institute applied geographic and demographic research to questions involving natural resources, environmental pressure and national security.
