Shimon Peres dies: global reaction to former Israeli leader’s death
Shimon Peres, one of the founding fathers of Israel and a man “at or near the centre of action” for his country’s entire modern history, has died aged 93.
Peres, Israel’s defence, finance, and prime minister (twice) and president for seven years, did more than almost any figure in the country’s history to build up its formidable military might, then dedicated decades of his life trying to forge a lasting peace with the nation’s neighbours.
Peres was a key architect of the 1993 Oslo Accords, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.
He died in Jerusalem in the early hours of Wednesday morning, having suffered a stroke two weeks ago.
His family led condolences, his son Chemi saying: “our father’s legacy has always been to look to tomorrow. We were privileged to be part of his private family, but today we sense that the entire nation of Israel and the global community share this great loss. We share this pain together.”
World leaders paid tribute to his legacy. US President Barack Obama said of his life: “There are few people who we share this world with who change the course of human history, not just through their role in human events, but because they expand our moral imagination and force us to expect more of ourselves. My friend Shimon was one of those people.”