Shmuel Katz

MKs


Date of birth = Birth date|1914|12|9|df=y
Place of birth = South Africa
Year of Aliyah = 1936
Date of death = Death date and age|2008|5|9|1914|12|9|df=y
Place of death =
Knesset(s) = 1st
Party = Herut
Former parties =
Gov't roles =

Shmuel "Mooki" Katz, born Samuel Katz ( _he. שמואל "מוקי" כץ 9 December, 1914 – 9 May, 2008 [cite web
url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/146272
title=Former Herut MK Shmuel Katz, 93, Passes Away - News Briefs - Arutz Sheva
publisher=www.israelnationalnews.com
accessdate=2008-05-09
last=
first=] ) was an Israeli writer, historian and journalist. [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1569800421/ Library Journal] ] He was a member of the first Knesset and is also known for his research on Jewish leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky. [http://www.jewishpost.com/archives/news/the-best-biography-of-jabotinsky-the-lone-wolf.html The Best Biography of Jabotinsky: The Lone Wolf] Jewish Post]

Background

Katz was born in 1914 in South Africa, 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 Jabotinsky to speak on issues concerning Palestine. He was the editor of the paper "The Jewish Standard" and has written for the "Daily Express" and "The Jerusalem Post".

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, ['France Accused Of Supporting Palestine Terrorists: Jewish Leader Tells Of Murder Plot', "The Times", Friday, March 18, 1966; pg. 11; Issue 56583; col F.] as well as a spokesman of the organization. [Seliktar, Ofira (2002). "Divided We Stand: American Jews, Israel, and the Peace Process". Praeger/Greenwood. ISBN 0-275-97408-1 (p. 39)] [ Terence Smith, New York Times, June 27, 1977 ]

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, co-founder of the Movement for Greater Israel in 1967, and in 1971 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. [ The New York Times, January 6 1978, Adviser to Begin quits ] He quit this task on January 5, 1978 because of differences with the Cabinet over peace proposals [Michael Knipe, 'Settlements continue to spring up in Sinai', "The Times", Friday, January 6, 1978; pg. 4; Issue 60203; col G.] with Egypt. [Masalha, Nur (2000). "Imperial Israel and the Palestinians: The Politics of Expansion". Pluto Press. ISBN 0-7453-1615-8 (p. 80)] 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. [http://www.herut.org.il/english/news.html#179 "The Loss of Shmuel Katz"]

A well known book by Katz is "". 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".

Bibliography

*"Days of Fire" (1966)
*"" (1973)
*"Lo Oz Velo Hadar" ("No Courage and No Glory") (1981) In English: "The Hollow Peace"
*"Lone Wolf: A Two-Volume Biography of Vladimir (Ze'ev) Jabotinsky" (1993)
*"Ha-Reshet: ha-hagadah le-beit aaronson (The Network: the legend of the House of Aaronsohn)" (2000); in English translation: "The Aaronsohn Saga" (2007)
*"The Hunt For The Engineer: The Inside Story of How Israel's Counterterrorist Forces Tracked and Killed the Hamas Master Bomber" (2002)

References

External links

* [http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=464 Shmuel Katz on the Knesset website (in English)]
* [http://www.eretzyisroel.org/~samuel/ Fact and Fantasy in the Holy Land] EretzYisrael.Org
* [http://mideastoutpost.com/archives/000109.html AFSI Honors Shmuel Katz] MidEast Outpost
* [http://www.freeman.org/m_online/katza.htm Shmuel Katz: Recent articles] Freeman Center for Strategic Studies