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Israel’s leaders mourn Peres’s death

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Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum have this morning paid tribute to Shimon Peres, who passed away overnight.

Peres left an indelible mark on the Israeli political scene, having served in every senior office, including Prime Minister, President, defence minister, foreign minister and finance minister. He also served as a Knesset member for almost half a century.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “deep personal sorrow” over Peres’s passing and announced that he will convene a special cabinet session this morning, followed by a further statement.

President Reuven Rivlin will today cut short an official visit to Ukraine in the wake of Peres’s death and return to Israel.

Rivlin said: “We all bow our heads at hearing of his passing.”

He added: “There is not a chapter in the history of the State of Israel in which Shimon did not write or play a part. As one man he carried a whole nation on the wings of imagination, on the wings of vision. A man who was a symbol for the great spirit of this people.”

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein also paid tribute to Peres. He said: “The State of Israel is parting today from the head of its family.”

Opposition leader and Zionist Union head Isaac Herzog, who served as an assistant and advisor to Peres, called him “a mentor, a friend and a great leader who will be remembered forever in Israel’‎s history”. He further described Peres as “‎a man of great deeds that shaped the face of the State of Israel throughout the years of its existence”.

Education Minister and Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett also paid tribute to Peres, saying: “Peres wrote history with his own hands. He was the most practical of visionaries, a security-first person who aspired to peace, a courageous leader who represented the State of Israel proudly with every bone of his body and in every spot across the globe.”