Shmuel Katz
Encyclopedia
This page is for the writer and historian. For the illustrator and cartoonist, see Shemuel Katz
Shmuel "Mooki" Katz, born Samuel Katz ( 9 December 1914 – 9 May 2008) was an Israel
i writer, historian and journalist
. He was a member of the first Knesset
and is also known for his research on Jewish leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky.
, and in 1930 he joined the Betar
movement. In 1936 he immigrated
to Mandate Palestine and joined the Irgun
. In 1939 he was sent to London by Ze'ev Jabotinsky to speak on issues concerning Palestine. While there he founded the revisionist
publication “The Jewish Standard” and was its editor, 1939–1941, and in 1945.
In 1946 Katz returned to Mandate Palestine and joined the HQ of the Irgun where he was active in the aspect of foreign relations. He was one of the seven members of the high command of the Irgun, as well as a spokesman of the organization.
In 1948 Katz assisted in the bringing of the ship, Altalena
to the shores of Israel. Shmuel Katz was one of the founders of the Herut
political party and served as one of its members in the First Knesset. In 1951 he left politics and managed the Karni book publishing firm. He was co-founder of the Movement for Greater Israel
in 1967, and in 1971 he helped to create Americans for a Safe Israel
.
In 1977 Katz became "Adviser to the Prime Minister of Information Abroad" to Menachem Begin
. He accompanied Begin on two trips to Washington and was asked to explain some points to President Jimmy Carter
. He quit this task on January 5, 1978 because of differences with the Cabinet over peace proposals with Egypt. Katz was then active with the Tehiya
party for some years and later with Herut - The National Movement after it split away from the ruling Likud
. He also has written for the Daily Express
and The Jerusalem Post
.
A well known book by Katz is Battleground: Fact and Fantasy in Palestine
. In this book Katz describes the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict and claims to expose anti-Zionist myths about it. Katz attacks what he calls propaganda used by Arab sources about the roots of the conflict and attempts to refute them. In the preamble of the last edition of the book, the author writes that the book is being taught in numerous schools around the world.
Another project for which Katz dedicated many years of his life is the two volume biography of Jabotinsky of 1792 pages, entitled Lone Wolf, A Biography of Vladimir (Ze'ev) Jabotinsky.
Shemuel Katz
For the writer and MK, see Shmuel Katz .Shmuel Katz was an Israeli artist, illustrator, and cartoonist...
Shmuel "Mooki" Katz, born Samuel Katz ( 9 December 1914 – 9 May 2008) was an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i writer, historian and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He was a member of the first Knesset
Israeli legislative election, 1949
Elections for the Constituent Assembly were held in newly independent Israel on 25 January 1949. Voter turnout was 86.9%. Two days after its first meeting on 14 February 1949, legislators voted to change the name of the body to the Knesset...
and is also known for his research on Jewish leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky.
Background
Katz was born in 1914 in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and in 1930 he joined the Betar
Betar
The Betar Movement is a Revisionist Zionist youth movement founded in 1923 in Riga, Latvia, by Vladimir Jabotinsky. It has been traditionally linked to the original Herut and then Likud political parties of Israel, and was closely affiliated with the pre-Israel Revisionist Zionist splinter group...
movement. In 1936 he immigrated
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Mandate Palestine and joined the Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
. In 1939 he was sent to London by Ze'ev Jabotinsky to speak on issues concerning Palestine. While there he founded the revisionist
Revisionist Zionism
Revisionist Zionism is a nationalist faction within the Zionist movement. It is the founding ideology of the non-religious right in Israel, and was the chief ideological competitor to the dominant socialist Labor Zionism...
publication “The Jewish Standard” and was its editor, 1939–1941, and in 1945.
In 1946 Katz returned to Mandate Palestine and joined the HQ of the Irgun where he was active in the aspect of foreign relations. He was one of the seven members of the high command of the Irgun, as well as a spokesman of the organization.
In 1948 Katz assisted in the bringing of the ship, Altalena
Altalena Affair
The Altalena Affair was a violent confrontation that took place in June 1948 between the newly formed Israel Defense Forces and the Irgun, a right-wing Jewish paramilitary group...
to the shores of Israel. Shmuel Katz was one of the founders of the Herut
Herut
Herut was the major right-wing political party in Israel from the 1940s until its formal merger into Likud in 1988, and an adherent of Revisionist Zionism.-History:...
political party and served as one of its members in the First Knesset. In 1951 he left politics and managed the Karni book publishing firm. He was co-founder of the Movement for Greater Israel
Movement for Greater Israel
The Movement for Greater Israel was a political organisation in Israel during the 1960s and 1970s which subscribed to an ideology of Greater Israel....
in 1967, and in 1971 he helped to create Americans for a Safe Israel
Americans for a Safe Israel
Americans for a Safe Israel is an American Jewish group that opposes all territorial withdrawals by Israel. It supports the Israeli settlement movement and campaigned against the Oslo Accords and the evacuation of settlers from Gaza....
.
In 1977 Katz became "Adviser to the Prime Minister of Information Abroad" to Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin
' was a politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Before independence, he was the leader of the Zionist militant group Irgun, the Revisionist breakaway from the larger Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah. He proclaimed a revolt, on 1 February 1944,...
. He accompanied Begin on two trips to Washington and was asked to explain some points to President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. He quit this task on January 5, 1978 because of differences with the Cabinet over peace proposals with Egypt. Katz was then active with the Tehiya
Tehiya
Tehiya , originally known as Banai , then Tehiya-Bnai , was a small right-wing political party in Israel that existed from 1979 until 1992...
party for some years and later with Herut - The National Movement after it split away from the ruling Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
. He also has written for the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
and The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
.
A well known book by Katz is Battleground: Fact and Fantasy in Palestine
Battleground: Fact and Fantasy in Palestine
Battleground: Fact and Fantasy in Palestine is a history book about the Arab-Israeli conflict by Israeli writer Shmuel Katz...
. In this book Katz describes the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict and claims to expose anti-Zionist myths about it. Katz attacks what he calls propaganda used by Arab sources about the roots of the conflict and attempts to refute them. In the preamble of the last edition of the book, the author writes that the book is being taught in numerous schools around the world.
Another project for which Katz dedicated many years of his life is the two volume biography of Jabotinsky of 1792 pages, entitled Lone Wolf, A Biography of Vladimir (Ze'ev) Jabotinsky.
External links
- Shmuel Katz on the Knesset website (in English)
- Fact and Fantasy in the Holy Land EretzYisrael.Org
- AFSI Honors Shmuel Katz MidEast Outpost
- Shmuel Katz: Recent articles Freeman Center for Strategic Studies