Dr. Moshe Sneh, head of Israel’s anti-Moscow Maki Communists since 1954, died here tonight of a kidney ailment. He was 63 on Jan. 6. The Knesset member, a medical doctor, was a Hagana leader during the War of Independence, founded the General Zionist movement in Poland and had been editor of Haint, the largest Jewish newspaper in Europe.
He came to Palestine in 1940, was Hagana commander-in-chief during 1940-46 and was hunted by British Mandate authorities. In 1947 he resigned as a member of the Jewish Agency Executive after two years and joined the Mapam party. He was the head of Mapam’s Left Socialist wing when it merged with the Communists in 1954.
Dr. Sneh, considered one of the most brilliant Knesset members, served Maki as an MK during two periods, 1949-65 and 1969 to date. He was also editor of Kol Ha’am, a lecturer, a writer and a broadcaster. During 1950-53 he edited the newspaper Al Hamishmar. Dr. Sneh was born in Radzin, Poland, with the surname Kleinbaum. He was educated at the Free Polish University and the University of Warsaw. He was the only Maki MK in the 120-member Knesset.
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