Sami Michael

Sami Michael
סמי מיכאל
Michael in 2007
Born
Kamal Salah

(1926-08-15)15 August 1926
Died1 April 2024(2024-04-01) (aged 97)
Haifa, Israel
CitizenshipIsraeli
Iraqi (till 1950)
Occupation(s)Author; was President of The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI).
SpouseRachel Yonah Michael
Partner(s)Malka
Rachel Yona
ChildrenDikla
Amir
Awards

Sami Michael (Hebrew: סמי מיכאל, Arabic: سامي ميخائيل; 15 August 1926 – 1 April 2024) was an Israeli author, having migrated from Iraq to Israel at the age of 23. From 2001, Michael was the President of The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI).

Michael was among the first in Israel to call for the creation of an independent Palestinian state to exist alongside Israel. In his novels, Michael writes about the aspirations and struggles of both Jews and Arabs. This new approach in modern Hebrew literature was controversial and has been widely discussed in universities and in the media. Michael was awarded the EMET Prize in 2007. Michael defined himself not as a Zionist, but as an Israeli in order to make room for the inclusion of all citizens in Israel.