KATZ, SHMUEL

KATZ, SHMUEL (1914– ), Israeli publicist. Katz was born in South Africa and came to Eretz Israel in 1936 as secretary to the Honorary South African Consul, Michael Haskel. He was active in the Irgun Ẓeva'i Leummi, then under the leadership of david raziel . At the request of Ze'ev Jabotinsky he came to London in 1940, where he launched and edited a weekly Revisionist magazine. On his return in 1946 he resumed his activity in the Irgun and was a member of its High Command until it dissolved. He then took over the responsibility for the branch of the Irgun which remained in Jerusalem during the final phase of fighting in the War of Independence. Katz was elected to the First Knesset, but left public life in 1951 and set up a publishing house. After the Six-Day War he became active in the Land of Israel Movement, carrying on propaganda on its behalf in the United States. After the victory of the Likud in March 1977, Menaḥem Begin appointed him adviser on information abroad, but he resigned in January 1978 as he found himself in disagreement with the policy of the prime minister and joined the Ḥerut group which opposed Begin's peace negotiations. Later on, he retired from Ḥerut politics. Katz published five books, Days of Fire, Battleground: Fact and Fantasy in Palestine, No Courage, No Splendor, Zabo, and The Wild East. In addition, he translated works of Jabotinsky, and Menaḥem Begin's Revolt, into English.