Sami Michael, Iraqi-Israeli author and playwright
Sami Michael (Hebrew: סמי מיכאל, Arabic: سامي ميخائيل; born August 15, 1926) is an Israeli author, having migrated from Iraq to Israel at the age of 23. Since 2001, Michael has been 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 defines himself not as a Zionist, but as an Israeli in order to make room for the inclusion of all citizens in Israel.