S. Yizhar (born Yizhar Smilansky, September 27, 1916 – August 21, 2006) was a pioneering Israeli writer, educator, and politician whose works profoundly influenced subsequent generations of Israeli authors, including Amos Oz. Born in Rehovot to a family of early Zionist settlers (his uncle was writer Moshe Smilansky), he studied at Hebrew University and served in the Jewish Brigade during WWII and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. His literary career spanned six decades and established him as one of Israel's most influential modern authors, winning the Israel Prize (1959) and Bialik Prize for works like 'Hirbet Hiz'ah' (1949) and 'Days of Ziklag' (1958) that grappled with themes of morality, displacement, and the human cost of nation-building through poetic realism and ethical introspection. As a Knesset member for Mapai from 1949–1967, he focused on education reform, cultural policy, and immigrant integration. He also taught at Hebrew University, advancing Hebrew language studies. Yizhar's legacy endures as a voice of conscience in Israeli society and a cornerstone of Hebrew literature.