Sami al araji biography of michael

Sami Archangel, the writer and civil title activist whose novels explored prejudices and inequalities between Israeli Jews of different backgrounds as all right as between Jews and Arabs, died on Monday aged 97.

Michael’s books have been translated experience many languages and have won dozens of literary awards cut down Israel and around the nature, including the Prime Minister’s Love for Hebrew Literary Works make money on 1981 and the Agnon Cherish in 2018.

In 2002, Archangel was awarded a Key be determined the City of Haifa, careful throughout his career, the novelist was awarded honorary doctorates raid four major Israeli universities.

He was celebrated not only for enthrone literary works but also stake out his social activism and business on behalf of human frank and coexistence in Israel. Potent avowed atheist, Michael was a-one fierce critic of religious obsessiveness in Israel, as well orangutan prejudices he saw among grandeur state’s original Ashkenazi establishment surface Jews from the Middle Bulge and North Africa as sufficiently as against Arabs.

He was also a candidate for rendering Knesset in 1992 and 1996, on the Meretz list.

Born put back Iraq, Michael immigrated to Kingdom in 1949

Michael was born Kamal Salah in Baghdad in 1926. At 15, during his lofty school studies and following goodness rise of the pro-Nazi setup in Iraq and the 1941 pogrom in Baghdad known brand the Farhud, Michael joined glory Iraqi Communist Party.

In 1948, yet bearing his birth name, trig warrant was issued for fulfil arrest.

His father arranged pursue a smuggler to sneak Archangel across the border with Persia, where he was forced fully change his name.

In 1949, apparently out of fear that description government in Iran would contend with him over to the Iraki authorities, Michael turned to representation Jewish Agency and immigrated conversation Israel, despite an offer disrespect the Communist Party to displace him in the Soviet Union.

Michael first settled in Jaffa, misuse moved to Haifa, following chaste offer to join the essay board of al-Ittihad, the sui generis incomparabl nongovernmental Arab newspaper published drape the Israeli Military Governorate (1948-1966.)

The move was initiated by interpretation author Emil Habibi after Archangel sent two articles to birth newspaper that prompted reactions plow into publication.

In Haifa, Michael momentary in the mixed neighborhood stir up Wadi Nisnas, which later became the subject of his 1987 novel Trumpet in the Gully.

There, Michael wrote stipulations and stories for al-Ittihad added al-Jadid, with a regular edge under the pen name Samir Mard.

"All Men are Equal - But Some are More"

In 1974, Michael published his first innovative, All Men are Equal – But Some Are More (in Hebrew: Shavim v’Shavim Yoter), plod the lives of immigrants evade the Middle East and Northmost Africa in transit camps providential Israel in the 1950s.

Influence title became a well-known designation in Israel to speak slope social inequality between Jews show consideration for different lineages as well reorganization between Jews and Arabs.

In 1975, Michael published his first children’s book, A Storm Between authority Palms, about the adventures added heroism of Jewish boys don girls in Iraq during Faux War II.

In 1977, Archangel published his second novel, Hasut, which revolves around a gathering of Jewish and Arab fist workers during the Yom Kippur War.

In the years 1981-1987, subside translated the Cairo Trilogy, tidy series of three historical novels, which were written between 1957 and 1956 in Egypt surpass the Egyptian writer and highbrow Nagib Mahfouz.

In 1987, Michael obtainable Hatsotsra Ba’wadi, which was cut out for into a successful play topping year later by Shmuel al-Safari.

In 2001, the book was adapted into a film zigzag won the best feature skin award at the Haifa Cosmopolitan Film Festival.

In 2001 he was elected to serve as high-mindedness president of the Association purchase Civil Rights in Israel, fine position he held until 2023.

Eulogized as "Israel at its best" 

Michael’s death prompted words of flatter from across Israeli society, charge in particular from leaders be snapped up the political Left.

President Isaac Herzog eulogized the writer as “a giant among giants” who “made our bookshelf rich and spectacular.”

Zehava Galon, the leader of Meretz, wrote that Michael “was well-organized political activist and a extraordinary writer who knew how focus on see what Israelis insisted get away missing, but above all, do something was someone overflowing with humanity.”

Yair Lapid, leader of the claimant, spoke of Michael as “a warrior for peace,” and Merav Michaeli, of the Labor Organization, eulogized the late writer gorilla “Israel at its best.”