Literatureפאוזי אל-אסמר

Fouzi Asmar

Fouzi El Asmar was an Arab writer, poet and journalist from Haifa, known for his book To Be an Arab in Israel.

1937 to 2013The book To Be an Arab in IsraelAdministrative detention in 1969Arab poetry and journalism

Died: 19 September 2013, Bethesda
Occupation: writer, poet, non-fiction writer
Education: University of Exeter

Fouzi Asmar was born in 1937 in Haifa

El Asmar was born in Haifa in 1937 to an Arab Christian family. He grew up in Lod, where his father was a station master.

In Israel he moved to Tel Aviv and published poetry. He was a cofounder of the Al Ard movement and joined the editorial board of Al Fajr in 1958. In 1966 he became editor of Hadha Al Alam.

In 1969 he was arrested and held in administrative detention on suspicion of ties to sabotage groups. He was released after 15 months, but his movement was restricted. He left Israel in 1972 and settled in the United States.

He studied history and political science in the United States and earned a doctorate from the University of Exeter. He was managing editor of Asharq Al-Awsat, headed the Emirates News Agency bureau in Washington and wrote for Al Riyadh. From 1996 he taught at American University.

His books include To Be an Arab in Israel (1975) and Through the Hebrew Looking Glass (1986). He died in Bethesda, Maryland, on 19 September 2013.