Shimon Tzabar
Encyclopedia
Shimon Tzabar was a member of the editorial board
of Imperial News. He described himself as a "Hebrew-speaking Palestinian
".
The son of poultry vendors, he was educated at a religious school. In his teens, after initially joining Ze'ev Jabotinsky's Betar
organization, he became a member of all three Jewish underground
military organizations in British Mandatory Palestine: Lehi
(the "Stern Gang"), Etzel
, and Haganah
(Palmach
) that fought the British
and the Arab populations. He was arrested by the British Mandatory authorities and spend several months in detention at Latrun
. With the establishment of Israel, he briefly joined the Israeli Communist party
. He fought in the first three wars: 1948-50, 1956, and 1967. He strongly disagreed with the annexation of the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem
and takeover of the West Bank
and Gaza Strip
by Israel
in the aftermath of the Six-Day war
.
After the Six Day War, he became famous for a declaration he published in Ha'aretz, together with 11 co-signatories, protesting the incipient occupation. In part it read:-
He subsequently left Israel in protest, and took up residence in England. Tzabar was a columnist for a number of years for both the daily "Haaretz
" and the weekly "Ha'olam Haze" newspapers. He also published 27 books in Hebrew
, among these are works of fiction
, travel
, children's books and poetry
. Allan Lane, the hard cover "Penguin", published his English book: "The White Flag Principle" that had been translated
and published in Japan
and in most European languages.
His views eventually evolved towards anti-Zionism
: Tzabar became an outspoken opponent of Zionism in addition to the occupation; he criticized peace groups like Peace Now and Gush Shalom
.
In 2004, Michelin
threatened to sue him for trademark infringement, after he published a study of Israel's prisons under the title "MUCH BETTER THAN THE OFFICIAL MICHELIN Guide to Israeli prisons, Jails, concentration camps and torture chambers"; they eventually dropped the case, much to Tzabar's disappointment. http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1330431,00.html
An accomplished painter, polymath, and mycophile, he identified one species of mushroom.
Editorial board
The editorial board is a group of people, usually at a publication, who dictate the tone and direction the publication's editorial policy will take.- Board makeup :...
of Imperial News. He described himself as a "Hebrew-speaking Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
".
The son of poultry vendors, he was educated at a religious school. In his teens, after initially joining Ze'ev Jabotinsky's 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...
organization, he became a member of all three Jewish underground
Underground resistance
Underground resistance may refer to*Underground Resistance , a musical collective from Detroit, Michigan*Underground resistance during World War II, the inhabitants of various locales resisting the rule of the Nazis, the Empire of Japan, and Mussolini...
military organizations in British Mandatory Palestine: Lehi
Lehi (group)
Lehi , commonly referred to in English as the Stern Group or Stern Gang, was a militant Zionist group founded by Avraham Stern in the British Mandate of Palestine...
(the "Stern Gang"), Etzel
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...
, and Haganah
Haganah
Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
(Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
) that fought the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the Arab populations. He was arrested by the British Mandatory authorities and spend several months in detention at Latrun
Latrun
Latrun is a strategic hilltop in the Ayalon Valley in Israel overlooking the road to Jerusalem. It is located 25 kilometers west of Jerusalem and 14 kilometers southeast of Ramla.-Etymology:...
. With the establishment of Israel, he briefly joined the Israeli Communist party
Maki (historical political party)
Maki was a communist political party in Israel. It is not the same party as the modern day Maki, which split from it during the 1960s and later assumed its name.-History:...
. He fought in the first three wars: 1948-50, 1956, and 1967. He strongly disagreed with the annexation of the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
and takeover of the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
and Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
by Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in the aftermath of the Six-Day war
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
.
After the Six Day War, he became famous for a declaration he published in Ha'aretz, together with 11 co-signatories, protesting the incipient occupation. In part it read:-
"Our right to defend ourselves from extermination does not give us the right to oppress others. Occupation entails foreign rule. Foreign rule entails resistance. Resistance entails repression. Repression entails terror and counter-terror. The victims of terror are mostly innocent people. Holding on to the occupied territories will turn us into a nation of murderers and murder victims. Let us get out of the occupied territories immediately.'
He subsequently left Israel in protest, and took up residence in England. Tzabar was a columnist for a number of years for both the daily "Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
" and the weekly "Ha'olam Haze" newspapers. He also published 27 books in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, among these are works of fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
, travel
Travel
Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...
, children's books and poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
. Allan Lane, the hard cover "Penguin", published his English book: "The White Flag Principle" that had been translated
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
and published in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and in most European languages.
His views eventually evolved towards anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionistic views or opposition to the state of Israel. The term is used to describe various religious, moral and political points of view in opposition to these, but their diversity of motivation and expression is sufficiently different that "anti-Zionism" cannot be...
: Tzabar became an outspoken opponent of Zionism in addition to the occupation; he criticized peace groups like Peace Now and Gush Shalom
Gush Shalom
Gush Shalom is an Israeli peace activism group founded and led by former Irgun and Knesset Member and journalist, Uri Avnery, in 1993...
.
In 2004, Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
threatened to sue him for trademark infringement, after he published a study of Israel's prisons under the title "MUCH BETTER THAN THE OFFICIAL MICHELIN Guide to Israeli prisons, Jails, concentration camps and torture chambers"; they eventually dropped the case, much to Tzabar's disappointment. http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1330431,00.html
An accomplished painter, polymath, and mycophile, he identified one species of mushroom.
Partial bibliography
- The White Flag Principle: How to Lose a War (and Why), New York 2003, ISBN 978-1568582597
- Yemenite and Sabra Cookery, (with Naomi Tzabar) Tel-Aviv 1979, ISBN 978-9652340016
- An Illustrated Key for the Identification of Wild Mushrooms, Fungi and Toadstools Interactive CD-Rom, http://www.druksgraphics.com/mycINT.htm
- Tusbarahindi the Great
External links
- Shimon Tzabar Memorial website
- Israel Imperial News
- http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/840080.htmlObituary in HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
, 21 March 2007] - http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2387850.eceObituary in The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, 24 March 2007] - Obituary by Moshé MachoverMoshé MachoverMoshé Machover is a mathematician, philosopher, and socialist activist, noted for his writings against Zionism. Born to a Jewish family in Tel Aviv, then part of the British Mandate of Palestine, Machover moved to Britain in 1968 where he became a naturalised citizen...
in Hagada HasmalitHagada HasmalitHagada Hasmalit is an Israel radical left-wing website. First published in Hebrew in Spring 2002, an English version began to be published in March 2007....
(The Left Bank), 22 March 2007