User:Tweeting cat/Bitan (israeli publishing house)

Bitan Publishing House is an Israeli book publisher founded by Asher Bitan in the 50's and has published over 3000 books, including Hebrew translations of worldwide bestsellers such as author Joseph Heller's novel "Catch 22". Other works published include books by Israeli author Dan Ben Amotz, who is known for this controversial writing and other works. Since 2006, advocate Eyal Liany has been the owner of the publishing house.

History
In the 50's Asher Bitan has founded a small publisher called "Bitan". In 1973 the "Bitan" publisher merged with two other editions "Zmora" and "Modan", to establish "Zmora Bitan Modan" publisher. Currently, Zmora Bitan is one of the main publishing companies in Israel and owned by the largest book chain in Israel "Tzomet Sfarim".

In the 70's and 80's, the company made revolutionized the way Israeli people read books. Bitan is responsible for the changes of the way that books In Israel are published. In the 60s the Israeli literature used to be quite complicated and didactic. He published a lighter form of literature that inspired and entertained the reader at the same time. Sometime later, Bitan found himself publishing the books of his personal friend, Dan Ben-Amotz along with the controversional philosopher Moshe Kroy. He also published the books of Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller, including bestseller thrillers such as "Catch 22" (1961), 2001: Space Odyssey, and many more. In 2006, Bitan sold his company to Eyal Liany.

A purchase by Eyal Liany
Eyal Liany, a personal friend of Asher Bitan, bought "Bitan" in 2006. Liany is an Israeli lawyer, musician and artist. In 2006, Liany publish his first book "Fragments" (Hebrew: מכתמים), a collection of short stories dealing with everyday events, both positive and negative, such as betrayal, happiness, loneliness and images of various social groups in Israel. Some of these fragments are considered provocative. Arab students in Tel Aviv University felt insulted from the erotic chapter about sleeping with an Arabic virgin. Israeli culture reviewer, Eli Eshed ,called Liany "Miniature Salman Rushdie" for his writing. As of 2011, Bitan is about to publish a book of Liany about drugs, and another novel "The Cyclist". Besides Liany's written works, a book about social protest in Israel in the summer of 2011 and the book about the phenomena of murder for family honor within Bedouin families.

List of elected books published by Bitan Publishing house

 * Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
 * Opium by Mikhail Bulgakov
 * Sentimental Education by Gustav Flaubert
 * 2001: A Space Odyssey by  Arthur C. Clark
 * Logical Proof of Existence of the soul by Dr. Moshe Kroi
 * Fragments (2006) - Eyal Liany