Sami Michael, one of Israel's most acclaimed and celebrated authors, has passed away today at the age of 97. Michael, who wrote novels, plays, and young adult literature, received dozens of literary awards in Israel and around the world over the years. His books were translated into numerous languages, with some adapted into films and television series.
Born Kamel Semaha in Baghdad, Michael completed his studies in Iraq. During the Farhud, the violent anti-Jewish riots in Iraq, he joined the Communist Party. After immigrating to Israel, he became a member of the Israeli Communist Party, although he later left the party while continuing his social activism, even serving as the president of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
Since the publication of his debut novel "Equal and More Equal" in 1974, Michael was considered one of Israel's most prominent and influential authors. Among his acclaimed works are "Refuge," "Victoria," "Trumpet in the Wadi," and the young adult novel "Palm Tree in the Storm".
In a 2012 interview with Omer Lachmanovich for Israel Hayom, Michael stated, "I don't carry the flag of any idea. I don't commercialize what I love – not Baghdad or Haifa, not my Iraqi past or my Haifa present. Those who define me as a Haifa writer are physically correct. But just as the Dan springs don't flow because they're in the Galilee, but because they're springs – so am I. My work is universal. I don't write for Israelis or Haifans. I write for the human within me. I write for myself."
In the same interview, Michael harshly criticized the Israeli Left, saying, "The left in Israel is disconnected. It's a very strange Left, not connected to its people, not knowing the language of its people. Its figures are connected to the Palestinian intellectual Left, which is also disconnected from its people. And so, they all meet in hotels for luxury meals, instead of talking to their peoples [...] The problem with the Israeli Left is that it was born in Poland, Russia, Romania, and didn't grow here, unlike the normal Left in every other country that grows from its place. The leftists live in protected, beautiful homes and enjoy a good income. It's a nice, pleasant bubble because these are intellectuals, but it's still a bubble."
