Samuel Pallache

Samuel Pallache (Arabic: صامويل آل بالاتش, Samuil al-Baylash, Hebrew: שמואל פלאצ'ה, Shmuel Palache, c. 1550 – 4 February 1616) was a Jewish Moroccan merchant, diplomat, and pirate of the Pallache family, who, as envoy, concluded a treaty with the Dutch Republic in 1608.

He died in the Netherlands, brought there due to the intervention of his ally, Maurice of Nassau, who helped him when he was arrested by the Spanish.

[9] After a delegation from the Dutch Republic visited Morocco to discuss a common alliance against Spain and the Barbary pirates, Sultan Zidan Abu Maali in 1608 appointed the merchant Samuel Pallache to interpret for his envoy Hammu ben Bashir to the Dutch government in The Hague.

[11] On 23 June 1608 Pallache met stadtholder Maurice of Nassau and the States-General in The Hague to negotiate an alliance of mutual assistance against Spain.

[13] In 1614, Pallache, having captured a Portuguese ship, was unable to bring its cargo ashore in Morocco and so sailed for the Netherlands.

A heavy storm and disease among his men forced him to seek refuge in an English port where, by request of the Spanish ambassador, he was arrested and imprisoned.

[14] On 4 February 1616 he died in The Hague, and was buried with a gravestone (image[15]) in the Beth Haim of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, a "cemetery of the Portuguese Jewish community"[16] in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel near Amsterdam.

[5] On his tombstone is written in Hebrew "הנושא טוב עם אלוהים ואדם", a verse from the book of Proverbs, which means Carries good with God and man.

[17] In the first pages of his 1769 Memorias do Estabelecimento e Progresso dos Judeos Portuguezes e Espanhoes nesta Famosa Cidade de Amsterdam, David Franco Mendes records the first minyan in Amsterdam with its sixteen worshippers: Jacob Israel Belmonte (father of Moses Belmonte), David Querido, Jacob Tirado, Samuel Pallache, Ury a Levy, Joseph Pallache, Jacob Uriel Cardoso, Isaac Gaon, Samuel Abrabanel Souza, Jeosuah Sarfati, Joseph Habilho, David Abendana Pereyra, Baruch Osorio, Abraham Gabay, Isaac Franco Medeyro, Moseh de Casserez.

One Man cites Moses (and David) as the most influential person after Samuel's death and de facto leader of the family, even before his own (elderly) father Joseph.