Former President of Israel, Shimon Peres, has died

‘We must ensure that we never lose faith in a better future, a better world’ –  Shimon Peres (July 21, 2016)

On September 13, 2016, Shimon Peres, former president of Israel, was taken to Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv and admitted to the intensive care unit where he was kept alive in a coma until today, when passed away today at 03:40 Israel time. The family did not want to keep him alive by artificial means and the machines were turned off at approximately midnight Tuesday.

Peres had been sedated and placed on a respirator where CT scans had confirmed heavy bleeding in his brain. The 93-year-old had suffered a massive stroke.

Shortly after being admitted to hospital, Peres’ son Hemi spoke to reporters and asked people to pray for his father.

“These have not been easy hours for my family and I. We have received many messages from people in Israel and abroad, who have enveloped us with warmth and love.”

He added: “Nothing is more precious to my father than the nation of Israel and its people. My father is a special person. I am remaining optimistic. I am praying and hoping for the best.”

The Tuesday morning of the stroke Peres made a video about buying Israeli products, blue and white.

“What is a ‘blue-and-white’ product?” wrote Peres in a caption accompanying a clip published on his Facebook page. “For me, it’s Israeli salad, our wonderful fruits, our excellent industry and our developed high-tech sector. I am proud of Israeli industry,” he wrote.

“Can you imagine a meal without an Israeli salad, can you imagine setting the table without [a plate of] Israeli fruits? There are 350 foreign companies investing in Israel… Why did they come? Because our products have an outstanding reputation. And so, what’s good for them is good for us. Give a ‘like’ for Israeli-made products,” Peres urged. See the video below.

Born in Wiszniew, Poland (now Vishnyeva, Belarus), Peres was one of the founders of the Labor-Zionist Youth Movement and a member of Haganah during the pre-state period. He became director-general of the defense ministry at age 29 and was a member of the Knesset from 1959 to 2007.

To escape the persecution of Jews the family fled to Palestine in 1934. Peres studied agricultural science and joined the party of the Zionist leader David Ben Gurion. When Arab forces launched their attack on the new state of Israel in 1948, Peres was given the chief responsibility for securing military equipment for Israel from abroad. Later he organized Israel’s nuclear program and is regarded as the father of Israel’s atom bomb.

He served in different political parties, namely Mapai, Rafi, the Alignment, Labor and Kadima.

Peres spent a long period as Labor Party chairman, and held a string of government roles including two non-consecutive stints as prime minister, and over the years he was minister of immigrant absorption; transport; information; defense; communications (or posts and telegraphs as it was known then); internal affairs; religious affairs; foreign affairs; finance; and regional cooperation.

He served in some of these positions more than once. He also had various stints as acting prime minister, deputy prime minister and vice prime minister.

Israel News Online wishes his family a long life, and may his memory be a blessing.