(Communicated by the Office of the President)

President Shimon Peres, this evening (Monday, 11 February 2013), reacted to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and said:

"I am saddened by the decision of Pope Benedict XVI to step down, and I wish him a long and healthy life. Pope Benedict has the depth of a great thinker, the sincerity of a great believer, the passion of a peace maker, and the wisdom to relate to changes in history without changing his values.

When Pope Benedict XVI visited Jerusalem and the Holy Land, I welcomed him with a word common to both our faiths - shalom - and under his leadership the Vatican has been a clear voice against racism and anti-Semitism and a clear voice for peace. Relations between Israel and the Vatican are the best they have ever been and the positive dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people is a testament to his belief in dialogue and cooperation."