After serving as a paratrooper in the Israeli army from 1954 to 1957, Yehoshua studied literature and philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and began teaching.
Yehoshua began publishing fiction once his military service ended, with his first book of stories, Mot Hazaken (The Death of an Old Man) published in 1962. He was the author of 14 novels, six books of short stories, four collections of essays, and four plays.
His 2021 novel, The Only Daughter, is being published in English next month for the first time, and his most recent work, The Third Temple, was published earlier this year.
His works had been translated into 28 languages and adapted for both films and stage, and he had won a number or literary awards, including the highly prestigious Israel Prize in Literature in 1995.
Yehoshua was a leading voice for peace in the region, calling for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would result in the creation of an independent Palestinian state. But in his later years, he was much less hopeful that that could be achieved.
Speaking to the JC in 2020, Yehoshua said: “For 50 years, I was a zealot about a two-state solution. I always spoke out about it when no one wanted to hear. Unfortunately, we have missed the opportunity. What Trump is bringing [with the Abraham Accords], no Palestinian will accept. I can’t believe he will decide the Palestinian future. They don’t want to talk to him. It’s too late.
“There are too many settlements to evacuate people. We have to find a one-state solution of co-existence as the two million Israeli Arabs have done. You could count on the fingers of one hand the number of Israeli Arabs killed by Israelis and the number of Israelis killed by Israeli Arabs during 70 years of co-existence. That’s a success to honour both sides.” (Read more from the interview here)
Eulogising Yehoshua, President of Israel Isaac Herzog described him as “one of Israel’s greatest authors in all generations, who gifted us his unforgettable works, which will continue to accompany us for generations.
“His works, which drew inspiration from our nation’s treasures, reflected us in an accurate, sharp, loving and sometimes painful mirror image. He aroused in us a mosaic of deep emotions,” Herzog added.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett mourned Yehoshua as “one of the pillars of Israeli literature, a man whose words were read by many. He has left a crowd of readers full of admiration for the person who took a part in shaping the culture of the State of Israel. May his memory be blessed.”
Tamar Zandberg, a government minister from the dovish Meretz party, wrote on social media that Yehoshua “also took upon himself the significant moral role of championing peace and justice.”
Yehoshua will be laid to rest at a kibbutz in northern Israel on Wednesday.
