Former Israeli President Shimon Peres dies

Shimon Peres, the former Israeli President who shared a Nobel Peace Prize with former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 1994, “for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East” passed away on Wednesday in Tel Aviv.

The statesman’s death was announced by his son Chimon Peres. Shimon had suffered a stroke two weeks ago, and had been hospitalised ever since. He had served as Prime Minister twice, and also as minister of defence, foreign affairs, finance and transportation. He was President of Israel from 2007 to 2014.

Shimon is also credited with the creation of Israel’s defence industry, development of the country’s nuclear strength, and for negotiating key arms deals with France and Germany.

Mourning his death, the current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “deep personal grief at the passing of the beloved of the nation.”

American President Barack Obama said, “A light has gone out, but the hope he gave us will burn forever.” In a full statement, Obama said, “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.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “In former President Shimon Peres, we lost a key world leader & a friend of India. Pained by his demise. Our condolences to people of Israel.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “Shimon Peres was, above all, a man of peace. My deepest condolences to his loved ones and to the people of Israel on his passing.”

However, Al Jazeera‘s Middle East analyst Yehia Ghanem said that many would remember Shimon as a “war criminal,” especially in light of the 1996 Qana massacre. An Israeli attack on the southern Lebanese village had resulted in the deaths of at least 106 people. Shimon was then prime minister.