Tributes pour in for Amos Oz from across Israel, around world

Netanyahu, Rivlin, Herzog eulogize beloved author, ‘NYT,’ ‘Guardian,’ ‘Le Monde’ publish obituaries

By AMY SPIRO
Updated: DECEMBER 30, 2018 10:54
Amos Oz. (photo credit: FLASH90)
Amos Oz.
(photo credit: FLASH90)
Tributes from around the globe and across Israel poured in over the weekend for the late author and activist Amos Oz.
“How precious and important you were to the State of Israel, to Israeli society, to the world of literature,” said President Reuven Rivlin on Saturday. “Your eyes that always saw so clearly, looked at the world both tenderness and focus at the same time, with clarity and with such hopes, deep on the inside and also a little on the outside.”
Rivlin added that Oz has “built for us a complete and eternal bookshelf that has everything... characters for us to love without limit and to hate without end, and those that inspired every feeling between.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Oz “one of the greatest authors Israel had to offer. Oz made endless contributions to the renewal of Hebrew literature, with which he deftly and emotionally expressed essential aspects of Israeli life. Even though we had our differences, I deeply appreciated his contributions to the Hebrew language and Israeli literature. His words and his writings will accompany us for many years to come.”
Fellow author and friend David Grossman told Ynet that Oz was a beloved national and international figure and also a friend. "He was one of the greatest writers of Hebrew literature of all time... read and appreciated in dozens of languages and cultures because he knew how to express the complexity of the reality in Israel."
Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman, who adapted Oz’s memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness into a 2015 film, mourned his loss on social media.

“My heart is broken,” Portman wrote alongside a photo of her and Oz. “Today we lost a soul, a mind, a heart, Amos Oz, who brought so much beauty, so much love, and a vision of peace to our lives. Please hold him in your hearts and read his gorgeous books. My most loving embrace to his family, who he loved extremely.”
On Saturday, Barbra Streisand posted a photo of her and Oz on social media, writing: "Amos Oz. A wonderful man and writer. May he Rest In Peace."

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Obituaries for Oz were printed in publications around the globe, including The New York Times, The Guardian, CNN, Le Monde, Die Zeit, El Pais, the BBC, AP, Reuters and many more.
“Like his namesake of the 8th century BCE, Amos Oz was a prophet of our time,” wrote former UK chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Twitter. “Secular, but with the burning moral passion that made him not only one of the world’s greatest novelists, but also, at a certain time, one of the world’s greatest activists for peace.”

British historian and writer Simon Schama expressed his “deepest sorrow at the passing of the great Amos Oz, a hero of mine, a moral as well as literary giant; a light to Israel and all who care for truth and justice... his life was a blessing and his work will be with us forever.”

Culture Minister Miri Regev said she was “sorry to hear of the death of Amos Oz, winner of the Israel Prize for Literature, decorated far and wide for his writings. Amos’s work will remain in our hearts forever and will echo worldwide.”
The Academy of the Hebrew Language said it was “bowing its head” over the loss of Oz, who was “one of the greatest modern-day Hebrew writers – his death is a great loss for those who love the Hebrew language.”
Fellow author and friend David Grossman told Ynet that Oz was a beloved national and international figure and also a friend. "He was one of the greatest writers of Hebrew literature of all time... read and appreciated in dozens of languages and cultures because he knew how to express the complexity of the reality in Israel."
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said Oz’s work “will forever be engraved in the world of Israeli culture and spirit,” and former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz said Oz was “a man of dreams, a man of life, a man of imagination and a man who looks at life with confidence.”
Joint List chairman Ayman Odeh said he met Oz several times, and “even when we argued (quite a bit!), he was a man of collaboration, he supported the end of the occupation. He was not afraid to say what was on his mind and did it with unusual talent.”
Isaac Herzog, chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, said Oz “will be remembered as a giant! His writing has influenced generations of Israelis, Jews and followers all over the world. His original and rich language, his moral strength and plight for justice and peace will be his eternal legacy.”



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