Amos Oz
Amos Oz was born Amos Klausner in Jerusalem and grew up in an educated rightwing Zionist academic family. He entered a kibbutz at age twelve and here took on the name Oz (Hebrew for power, strength). He had his first literary work published in 1961 and started teaching in 1963. In 1967 Amos Oz fought in the Six Day War in a panzer unit on Mount Sinai, and in 1973 he fought in the Yom Kippur War on the Golan Heights. Since the Six Day War he has been active in the Israeli peace movement. He is co-founder and outstanding representative of the peace movement Schalom achschaw (Peace now), set up in 1977, as well as co-author of the Genf initiative for peace in the Near East. The works of Amos Oz have been translated into 37 languages and honoured with countless prizes and awards.