Israel Shamir was born Izrail Schmerler in Novosibirsk, Siberia, in 1947, to Jewish parents. Later on, he taught mathematics and law at Novosibirsk University. He moved to Israel in 1969, served as paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces, and fought in the 1973 Yom Kippur War. After the war, he returned to his study of law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, but then abandoned this in favor of a career in journalism. In 1984, Shamir left Israel and moved to Sweden, where he was naturalized in 1992. Ever since, he has been at various times a resident of Russia, Israel and Sweden. In 2004, Shamir was baptized into the Greek Orthodox Church.
Shamir’s writing focuses on the plight of the Palestinians, hence he is by necessity a devoted anti-Zionist. He has also frequently spoken out in defense of revisionism and the revisionists’ right to freedom of expression.
By Israel Shamir ∙ February 17, 2001
Jaffa, 17.2.2001 After the last episode of the 'Fateful Elections', the actors amiably shared the trophies backstage. The muse of Israeli politics, like Coca-Cola, wishes to please everybody. Whoever thought that Barak was the best candidate, will be pleased to have him back in power as the Minister of Defense. Those who were about to…
By Israel Shamir ∙ February 4, 2001
February 4, 2001 “If the Jewish media lords cheat you about Palestine, why do you think they are honest in any other way?”—Israel Shamir, “Joseph Revisited,” March 3, 2001 While walking by the Tel Aviv seashore promenade, I was approached by a slick blond guy who invited me to visit lady luck. A mixed crowd…
By Israel Shamir ∙ January 27, 2001
January 27, 2001 The touching words of Elie Wiesel (Jerusalem in My Heart, NYT 1/25/2001) painted a beautiful portrait of the Jewish people, yearning for Jerusalem, loving and praying for it over the centuries and cherishing its name from generation to generation. This potent image reminded me, an Israeli writer from Jaffa, of something familiar…
By Israel Shamir ∙ October 31, 2000
In the merry nights of Tel Aviv, amid the colorful idlers at Allenby, in overflowing restaurants, where crowds of content Israelis leisurely take their relaxation, I see the camouflaged angel writing three words on the wall: “Mene tekel ufarsin.” My Angel-Russian dictionary translates these words as follows: “We have tried you, and you have not…
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