I fear only demons
-Sami Michael
The Iraqi-born Israeli author Sami Michael, who died in April 2024 aged 97, first caught the attention of Israel’s Hebrew-reading public with his 1974 debut novel, “All Men Are Equal — But Some Are More.” It was one of the first works of immigrant literature written by an immigrant in a nation of immigrants. Importantly, the author was a native speaker of Arabic and a Mizrahi Jew — meaning a Jew who came to Israel from a country in the Middle East or North Africa. These Jews from Arab lands immigrated in waves in the 1950s and early 1960s; upon their arrival they often encountered discrimination in the attitudes of the veteran Ashkenazi (Jews of Central and Eastern European heritage) establishment. In Michael’s debut novel, he describes the ritual of being sprayed with the insecticide DDT upon disembarking in Israel. “Within five short minutes the new homeland succeeded in turning my father from an energetic man standing at the height of his powers into an old humiliated broken human being,” Michael wrote.
Create an account to access exclusive content.
My account