PM Netanyahu's Remarks at the Start of the Special Cabinet Meeting
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this morning (Wednesday, 28 September), at the start of the special Cabinet meeting in memory of Israel's ninth President, the late Shimon Peres:
"This is the first day in the State of Israel without the late Shimon Peres. Shimon Peres was among our greatest leaders, who left behind him a long trail of unique achievements. On behalf of the entire Jewish People, the citizens of Israel and the Government of Israel, I convey deep condolences to Shimon's family.
Shimon Peres lived a life rich in deeds, which symbolize the history of a revived Israel – the life of an ancient people that marches, revived, on its land, the power of our people to defend itself, and is building up its homeland with sweat and courage.
When Shimon, as a youth, went to the Ben Shemen agricultural school, he wrote: 'The goal of my life is to serve my people.' He realized this goal. He believed with all his heart in the goals of Zionism and was a man of inspiring vision. Shimon accompanied the state since before its birth, stood by the cradle, and made sure that it could stand on strong legs. He was at the side of David Ben-Gurion during fateful decisions, at a time when the young Israel was fragile and its military strength had yet to be realized. Shimon greatly contributed to the building up of our strength. He made a unique contribution to the strengthening of our security both openly and in areas that are best left unspoken.
One of the summits of his life was the successful operation to free those of our people who had been hijacked to Entebbe. As Defense Minister in the government of Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon played a crucial role in the decision to dispatch our planes and commandos into the heart of Africa. But alongside this, alongside all of his work on behalf of the security of Israel, Shimon Peres never stopped striving for peace and believing in peace. His hand was always extended toward historic reconciliation with our neighbors. Even if this reconciliation tarried, he taught us not to give in to despair but to cling to the hope and to continue working.
Shimon Peres was an MK for almost 50 years. He served as a minister in various governments in many and varied portfolios. He twice led our country as Prime Minister. He opened our international links, contributed to stabilizing the economy and worked greatly on behalf of immigration from the USSR and Ethiopia.
We all know that political life was not always kind to Shimon. Alongside his achievements, he also knew disappointment, he also knew difficult moments, he also knew pointed criticism. But through his great strength of will Shimon continued to move forward, imbued with the aspiration to advance the development of the country that he loved so much, and imbued with the aspiration to bring peace.
There were many things that we agreed on and the number of these grew over the years. But we also had our disagreements, which are a natural part of democratic life. Even in these instances, the respect that I felt for Shimon was never impaired. On the contrary, as time passed our relations became closer. I esteemed him. I loved him. During his tenure as President, we had many personal meetings, often lasting deep into the night. These were fascinating, in-depth meetings in which I learned to recognize the man, to recognize his life's story and to listen to his thoughts.
Only two months ago I came with my wife to launch the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation. We shared a common vision - a vision of progress and technology. Shimon saw the presence of Israel at the forefront of scientific and technological progress, and rightly so, as a key to human welfare, the key to peace. At that meeting I was stirred by his curiosity, his ability to mobilize a vision of the future world. After the ceremony, we sat for a long time. We arranged to meet again, to continue to promote the common vision of technology and innovation – and yes, also peace.
Unfortunately, this meeting will not take place. The prayer which I made on behalf of all citizens of Israel from the podium of the United Nations, the prayer that I offered for his recovery did not materialize. But our consolation is that so many things in the life of Shimon did come true. And the seven years of Shimon Peres' presidency were a rejuvenation. He won the public's bipartisan, cross-sector admiration. Love of the people was forthcoming and warmed his heart.
Shimon was a man of vision, he was a man of peace, he was also a man of letters, and without these two elements there can be no national revival. For all these reasons Shimon won worldwide international recognition. Heads of state sought him out and honored him. Many of them, along with us, will accompany him on his last journey to eternal rest in the soil of Jerusalem. Shimon's work will yet remain with us for many generations. He will be enshrined in my heart always and etched in our hearts forever.
May his memory be blessed."
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.
Shimon Peres once said that, “I learned that public service is a privilege that must be based on moral foundations.” Tonight, Michelle and I join people across Israel, the United States and around the world in honoring the extraordinary life of our dear friend Shimon Peres—a Founding Father of the State of Israel and a statesman whose commitment to Israel's security and pursuit of peace was rooted in his own unshakeable moral foundation and unflagging optimism.
I will always be grateful that I was able to call Shimon my friend. I first visited him in Jerusalem when I was a senator, and when I asked for his advice, he told me that while people often say that the future belongs to the young, it’s the present that really belongs to the young. “Leave the future to me,” he said, “I have time.” And he was right. Whether it was during our conversations in the Oval Office, walking together through Yad Vashem, or when I presented him with America’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom, Shimon always looked to the future. He was guided by a vision of the human dignity and progress that he knew people of goodwill could advance together. He brought young people from around the world together because he knew they could carry us closer to our ideals of justice and equality.
Shimon was the essence of Israel itself—the courage of Israel’s fight for independence, the optimism he shared with his wife Sonya as they helped make the desert bloom, and the perseverance that led him to serve his nation in virtually every position in government across the entire life of the State of Israel. As Americans, we are in his debt because, having worked with every U.S. president since John F. Kennedy, no one did more over so many years as Shimon Peres to build the alliance between our two countries—an unbreakable alliance that today is closer and stronger than it has ever been.
Perhaps because he had seen Israel surmount overwhelming odds, Shimon never gave up on the possibility of peace between Israelis, Palestinians and Israel’s neighbors—not even after the heartbreak of the night in Tel Aviv that took Yitzhak Rabin. “Dear friends,” he told us during my visit to Israel three years ago, “after everything I have seen in my life, I earned the right to believe that peace is attainable.” Tonight, I can think of no greater tribute to his life than to renew our commitment to the peace that we know is possible. Our thoughts are with his children Zvia, Yoni and Chemi, their families and all who loved and admired Shimon Peres, of blessed memory.
A light has gone out, but the hope he gave us will burn forever. Shimon Peres was a soldier for Israel, for the Jewish people, for justice, for peace, and for the belief that we can be true to our best selves - to the very end of our time on Earth, and in the legacy that we leave to others. For the gift of his friendship and the example of his leadership, todah rabah, Shimon.
Shimon Peres was one of the few men in the world whose experience was surpassed only by his genuine wisdom and his eloquence.
When he talked, everyone listened. And later, long after he’d left the room, you remembered what he said. It crept into your soul and stayed with you.
Shimon Peres was truly a force of nature.
Today, we have lost an amazing leader, and a powerful voice for peace and progress in our world. His loss will be felt not only in Israel but all over the world—in every heart he touched, including mine.
It was my great privilege over the past 40 years to benefit from his friendship and his counsel. And each time I met with him, I was struck anew by his incredible compassion, his boundless energy, and his ceaseless curiosity. Even at 93, Shimon was still looking for the next big idea—the next dream to bring to life.
He was part of that exceptional generation of founders—the men and women who recognized the necessity for a Jewish State of Israel and then willed it into existence, despite overwhelming odds.
There was never any inevitability to the success of Israel. Only the iron-clad determination of those who made it so. Ben-Gurion. Meir. Begin. Rabin. And the youngest among them, a kid still in his early 20s named Shimon Peres, who would go on to dedicate his life and his service to Israel for 70 more years.
He was a treasure. He held every office. Earned every award and recognition—including America’s highest civilian honors.
And he never stopped serving. He didn’t know the meaning of the word quit.
He made sure Israel was strong and secure—so that Israel could always defend herself. And then he worked tirelessly to make Israel stronger through his unwavering commitment to peace. The last time I sat with Shimon back in March, at his Center for Peace in Tel Aviv, he said “we gave up war, because war led nowhere.”
Every nation has a soul—someone who embodies the spirit of a people.
And for so many years, Shimon Peres was the soul of Israel. The world is a little darker without him in it.
Jill and I send our deepest condolences to all the people of Israel. And our prayers go out to his children, Zvia, Yoni, and Chemi, and their families. May his memory continue to be a blessing to us all.
I am deeply saddened by the passing of former President ShimonPeres, Israel’s national treasure and one of its last remaining founders. A son of the shtetl who rose to become one of the world’s most beloved and respected statesmen, President Peres’ life was the life of the state of Israel—vibrant, courageous, determined.
Over the course of a political career that spanned more than six decades, a dozen cabinets, and ten American presidents, President Peres inspired generations with his profound commitment to his country. He was dreamer and a doer, working to make the desert bloom and build the state of Israel brick by brick. He was a warrior who helped secure Israel against its adversaries and a peacemaker who knew, as he liked to say, that there are no hopeless situations, only hopeless people—falling ill 23 years to the day that he joined President Clinton, Prime Minister Rabin, and Yasir Arafat for that historic handshake on the White House lawn. He was also, as he would happily remind you, an excellent cow-milker and shepherd in his kibbutznik days.
The unbreakable alliance between the United States and Israel stands as an enduring tribute to President Peres’ years of diplomacy and eloquent advocacy on Israel’s behalf. I’m proud to have called him a cherished friend, a wise and steadying presence during difficult times.
As the inventor of the eminently quotable “Peres-ism,” President Peres once observed that “Optimists and pessimists die the same way. They just live differently. I prefer to live as an optimist.” For 93 years, he did just that—enriching the state of Israel and the world with his light, his laughter, and his abiding loyalty to the land he loved. I extend my deepest condolences to President Peres’ children Zvia, Yoni, and Chemi and to their families. In the words of the Jewish tradition President Peres valued so deeply, we pray that his memory be a blessing.