Israeli author and intellectual Amos Oz died on Friday at the age of 79.

“My beloved father, Amos Oz, a wonderful family man, an author, a man of peace and moderation, died today peacefully after a short battle with cancer,” tweeted Fania Oz-Salzberger. “He was surrounded by his lovers and knew it to the end. May his good legacy continue to amend the world.”

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During his five-decade career, Oz wrote about the Jewish state’s history—from its founding in the aftermath of the Holocaust to its internal politics such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where he was an early proponent of the two-state solution following the 1967 Six-Day War.

His most noatable works included novels My MichaelBlack Box and Judas, in addition to his 1983 nonfiction book In the Land of Israel.

His more recent book, A Tale of Love and Darkness, was made into a feature film starring Israeli-born actor Natalie Portman.

Oz earned numerous awards, including the Israel Prize, France’s Prix Femina and Officier des Arts et Lettres, Italy’s Primo Levi Prize and the Frankfurt Peace Prize.

Tributes poured in following the news of Oz’s death.

French intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy tweeted, “Often, in the tragic moments, when the certainties seemed to wobble and the ground was shirking, I wondered: what does Amos Oz think? What does Amos Oz say?”

“’#Israel, which was born upon dreams and hope,’ ” tweeted the Italian embassy in Israel. “Deeply saddened by the passing of #AmosOz. Our heartfelt tribute to one of Israel’s leading authors. His strong commitment for #peace will not be forgotten.”

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