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Shimon Peres

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Shimon Peres was a central figure in the history of the State of Israel.

Shimon Peres 2005
Shimon Peres 2005

He was a statesman whose political career lasted for 70 years. During this time, he held several of the highest offices in the land. He served as the Prime Minister of Israel during two different periods. He also served as the President of Israel from 2007 to 2014.

Barack Obama welcomes Shimon Peres in the Oval Office
Barack Obama welcomes Shimon Peres in the Oval Office

Because of his long service, he was the oldest head of state in the world when he retired. He was also known as the last link to the founding generation of Israel.

Peres's political influence was felt through his work in the Knesset. The Knesset is the national legislature, or law-making body, of Israel. He served as a member of the Knesset for 48 years. This makes him the longest-serving member in the history of the Knesset.

Levi Eshkol visits Mamram
Levi Eshkol visits Mamram

He represented five different political parties, including Mapai, Rafi, the Alignment, Labor, and Kadima. He also served in twelve different government cabinets. Most of his time in the Knesset was continuous, with only a brief three-month break in 2006.

His life began in Wiszniew, Poland, in 1923.

Shimon Peres, standing third from right, with members of his family some time between 1920-1930 (D182-050)
Shimon Peres, standing third from right, with members of his family some time between 1920-1930 (D182-050)

He was born Szymon Perski to Yitzhak and Sara Perski. His family spoke Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian at home. In 1932, his father moved to Mandatory Palestine and settled in Tel Aviv. The rest of the family followed in 1934. As a young man, he led an expedition into the Negev desert. The group found a nest of birds called "peres" in Hebrew. He chose this name for his adult life.

Peres entered high-level government roles at a very young age. In 1952, he became the deputy director general of defense at age 28. By 1953, he was promoted to director general.

King of Nepal, Shimon Peres and Ezer Weizman 1963
King of Nepal, Shimon Peres and Ezer Weizman 1963

In this role, he was responsible for arms purchases and building strategic alliances. He worked closely with France to secure military equipment for Israel. This included the acquisition of advanced Dassault Mirage III jet fighters. He was also considered the architect of Israel's secret nuclear weapons program in the 1960s.

His diplomatic work extended to the United States and other world powers. In 1963, he held negotiations with U.S. President John F. Kennedy. These talks resulted in the sale of Hawk anti-aircraft missiles to Israel. This was the first time the United States sold military equipment to the country.

Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Foreign Min. Peres and King Hussein
Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Foreign Min. Peres and King Hussein

He also participated in the secret negotiations known as the Protocol of Sèvres. These meetings involved France and the United Kingdom during the 1956 Suez Crisis. British Prime Minister Anthony Eden described this type of work as the highest form of statesmanship.

In his later years, Peres shifted his focus toward peace and diplomacy. He served as foreign minister under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. During this time, he helped engineer the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty.

Peres signing Oslo I (1)
Peres signing Oslo I (1)

He also worked on the Oslo Accords with Palestinian leadership. For these efforts, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.

Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATES FOR 1994 IN OSLO.
Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATES FOR 1994 IN OSLO.

He even founded the Peres Center for Peace to promote economic and technological development in the Middle East.

Peres's life connected many different eras of Israeli history. He was one of the last Prime Ministers to make aliyah. Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the land of Israel. He was not born on the territory that became the state.

Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Peres and Clinton
Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Peres and Clinton

He died in 2016 at the Sheba Medical Center after suffering a stroke. He was 93 years old. His long life saw the transition of Israel from its founding to a modern state.

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🖼️ Images & Media (18)
File:Shimon Peres, standing third from right, with members of his family some time between 1920-1930 (D182-050).jpg
Shimon Peres, standing third from right,...
File:King of Nepal, Shimon Peres and Ezer Weizman 1963.jpg
King of Nepal, Shimon Peres and Ezer...
File:Levi Eshkol visits Mamram.jpg
Levi Eshkol visits Mamram.jpg
File:Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Menahem Begin and Shimon Peres.jpg
Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) -...
File:Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - ETHIOPIAN IMMIGRANTS DEMONSTRATING.jpg
Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) -...
File:Flickr_-_Government_Press_Office_(GPO)_-_Foreign_Min._Peres_and_King_Hussein.jpg
Flickr_-_Government_Press_Office_(GPO)_-_F...
File:Peres signing Oslo I (1).jpg
Peres signing Oslo I (1).jpg
File:Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATES FOR 1994 IN OSLO..jpg
Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) -...
File:Channel2 - Yitzhak Rabin.webm (cropped).jpg
Channel2 - Yitzhak Rabin.webm (cropped).jpg
File:Flickr_-_Government_Press_Office_(GPO)_-_Peres_and_Clinton.jpg
Flickr_-_Government_Press_Office_(GPO)_-_P...
File:Shimon Peres 2005.jpg
Shimon Peres 2005.jpg
Shimon Peres to David Shankbone on his...

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