Samih al-Qasim

Samīħ al-Qāsim al Kaissy (; ; 1939 – August 19, 2014) was a Palestinian poet with Israeli citizenship whose work is well known throughout the Arab world. He was born in Transjordan and later lived in Mandatory Palestine and Israel. Before the Six-Day War in 1967, he was mainly influenced by Arab nationalism; after the war he joined the Israeli Communist Party.

Early life Al-Qasim was born in 1939 to a Druze family in the Emirate of Transjordan (now Jordan), in the northern city of Zarqa, while his father served in the Arab Legion of King Abdullah. He came from a Druze family from the town of Rameh in the Upper Galilee. In his book About Principles and Art, he explains:

While I was still at primary school the Palestinian tragedy occurred. I regard that date as the date of my birth, because the first images I can remember are of the 1948 events. My thoughts and images spring from the number 48.

Life as a poet and journalist Al-Qasim would begin composing poetry early in life. His first publication of poems, Peagents of the Sun, was published when he was nineteen years old.

He claimed that the pan-Arab ideology of Nasserism impressed him during the nationalist post-1948 era. Al-Qasim wrote about these subjects while they were at the climax of their popularity among the Arab population in the later half of the 20th century. When asked by his Iraqi friend, poet Buland al-Haidari if he had visited Baghdad, he replied by saying he did not have to, since he views any Arab city as equal to his own Arab residence.

Political influence Al-Qasim claimed that the pan-Arab ideology of Nasserism impressed him during the nationalist post-1948 era. He was held under house arrest from 1963 until 1968. and was detained along with other members of the party at the outbreak of the Six-Day War. He was sent to al-Damoun prison (official name: Damon Prison) in Haifa. During this time, he virtually lost his nationalistic emotions upon hearing Israeli radio announcing its territorial gains after their victory. He would recite many of his poems to large audiences at monthly gatherings in the Arab towns and cities of the Galilee. Al-Qasim refused to leave Israel; in an interview with Index he is quoted as saying "I have chosen to remain in my own country not because I love myself less, but because I love my country more".

Death Al-Qasim died on August 19, 2014 in Safed Hospital, after a long battle with cancer. His funeral was held on August 21, 2014, in Rameh where it was attended by thousands.