Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu paid tribute to former Minister Yehoshua Matza, who died at the age of 89.
"I would like to express my deep sorrow at the passing of the former Knesset Member and Minister Yehoshua Matza, and I extend my full condolences to his family. My acquaintance with Yehoshua - a Jerusalemite in heart and soul - began decades ago when we served the general public within the framework of the Herut movement and the Likud party - both in the Jerusalem municipality and in the Knesset.
"I knew about Yehoshua's activity, as a teenager, in the Lehi underground before the establishment of the State. He even participated in the War of Independence. The love of man, the people, and the Land pulsated in him powerfully. I have always liked his popularity and directness, as a warm man who is sensitive to others. Yehoshua was a diligent parliamentarian, and during my first term as Prime Minister I appointed him Health Minister. He attached great importance to this role, which today everyone recognizes for its centrality. Yehoshua also was a force as president of the Bonds organization. The mobilization of resources for the benefit of Israel on a large scale, and the strengthening of ties between Diaspora Jews and our country, gave him immense satisfaction. May him memory be a blessing."