​Following are the statements of PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and Education Minister Naftali Bennett

PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his Wife Sara express deep personal sorrow over the passing of former President Shimon Peres

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara express deep personal sorrow over the passing of the former President of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres. The Prime Minister will convene the Cabinet in special session.

PM Netanyahu’s statement on the passing of Shimon Peres

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning (Wednesday, 28 September 2016), released the following statement on the passing of former President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres:
 
"We grieve today for the passing of our dear and beloved Shimon Peres.
 
Shimon devoted his life to our nation and to the pursuit of peace.
 
He set his gaze on the future.
 
He did so much to protect our people.
 
He worked to his last days for peace and a better future for all.
 
As Israel's President, Shimon did so much to unite the nation.
 
And the nation loved him for it.
 
Few people contributed as much to our people and to our state.
 
I first met Shimon 40 years ago at the graveside of my brother Yoni, who fell leading his men to rescue our hostages in Entebbe in Uganda.
 
I will never forget the warmth Shimon showed me, my brother and my parents in our great moment of grief.
 
Just a few days ago at the UN, I wished Shimon a speedy recovery from the hearts of all Israelis and so many around the world.
 
We all prayed that Shimon, with his unique strength, his unique vigor would somehow come out of this, would somehow come back to us.
 
To my deep sorrow, this prayer was not answered.
 
Now Shimon Peres has departed from us.
 
But he will never depart from our hearts and from our memories.
 
His name will be forever engraved in the story of the rebirth of the Jewish people, as one of our great leaders, as one of the founding fathers of the State of Israel."

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein mourns the passng of Shimon Peres, who was “among the giants of our national leadership”

(Communicated by the Knesset Spokesperson)

”The Knesset bows its head and agonizes over the passing of the ninth president and former prime minister Shimon Peres. The State of Israel bids farewell to the head of its family; a man who had seen everything, was involved in everything and shaped everything,” Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein said in a statement following Peres` death at the age of 93 early Wednesday morning.

”Peres is the story of the Jewish nation and of the State of Israel, be it as a member of a family of Holocaust survivors, an oleh, an agriculturist, a person involved in the country`s security and a statesman. He was among the giants of our national leadership over the past century; a man with much credit to his name, a shining example of a proud Zionist who aspired his entire life to act for the benefit of the country and its citizens,” Edelstein stated.

”He always looked to blaze a new trail and bring us all to better places. History will speak volumes of this great man, whose reputation preceded him in Israel and throughout the entire world as a man of wisdom, experience and vision. We will feel his absence greatly, but his fingerprints and the fruits of his labor will be present here for generations to come. I send a warm embrace to his family and sincere condolences to the many people who admired him. May his memory be blessed.”

Education Minister Naftali Bennett mourns the passing of Shimon Peres

(Communicated by the Education Ministry Spokesperson's Office)
 
Education Minister Naftali Bennett has issued the following statement:
 
"The last of the founding fathers has left us.
 
Shimon Peres was my education minister, and I will miss him very much. He didn't watch history - he wrote it.
 
Peres was a practical visionary and peace-seeking security figure, a courageous leader. He proudly represented Israel around the globe, and cared for the future of the Jewish people with every ounce of his body and soul.
 
I was fortunate to meet Peres multiple times over the past few years, and to hear his vision of a country that would be a light unto the nations; an Israel that would export to the world our greatest product: the Jewish mind.
 
I was greatly moved when Peres accepted my request to join the public campaign for the study of sciences in Israel, even though we didn't always see eye-to-eye on other issues.
 
At the most personal level, I will miss Shimon.
 
May his memory be a blessing.
 
I have directed Israel's education system to dedicate tomorrow to the life and achievements of Shimon Peres, and I call upon Jewish communities and schools to do the same, so the future generation for whom he fought will know who he was and be inspired by him. "