Haim Gouri, a leading Israeli poet and songwriter from the state's founding generation, died Wednesday at the age of 94, according to media reports.
Gouri was a prolific and influential poet who wrote about the birth of modern Israel in poems and songs that became deeply rooted in the country's ethos.
He was not shy in airing his political views and was critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Five years ago, he told the Knesset that despite "knowing almost every stone in this land," he now had "difficulty recognizing it."
Speaking Wednesday at a special Knesset session to mark the legislature's 69th anniversary, Netanyahu said Gouri "was an unusual combination of the warrior and the intellectual. His songs can move people to tears, and as a child I listened to them endlessly, and they always tug at my heartstrings."
Netanyahu said that Gouri's songs and poems are "part of the State of Israel's soundtrack."
President Reuven Rivlin issued a statement saying Gouri was "the national poet of our time" and a "life teacher."
Gouri was born in Tel Aviv and fought in the Palmach, the elite force of the pre-state militia. He was the recipient of several prestigious awards for his work, including the Israel Prize, the country's top honor.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted: "Haim Gouri, a man of the Palmach and the poet of the founding generation, is silent, but his poems will continue to make the hearts of Israeli youth flutter. The school system mourns the passing of the man … who left us the view of 'us' and not just 'me.'"
Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog wrote: "Gouri's biography is intertwined with that of the state, and his works have become some of our greatest cultural treasures. The people of Israel will always remember him as the poet of independence."
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein announced Wednesday that he had decided to name a section of the Knesset Archaeological Garden after Gouri.
