Writer Sami Michael, head of Association for Civil Rights in Israel, passes away at 97

Sami Michael, one of the most prominent figures in modern Hebrew literature, has died at the age of 97. Born in Baghdad in 1926, he immigrated to Israel in 1949, adopting the name Sami Michael (formerly Kamal Salah).

Sami Michael became famous for his books on the challenges of integration into Israel for Jews from the Arab world and the animosity between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews in Israel. One of the main themes in his works was social injustice.

Sami Michael was a nominee and winner of numerous Israeli and international awards.

Michael is a nominee for the Nobel Prize for Literature and has also won the Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works.

He was also a prominent human rights activist and the President of The Association for Civil Rights in Israel.