Shimon Peres witnessed Israel's history, and shaped it

 

He was a young aide to the nation's founding fathers when the country declared independence in 1948, and he played a key role in turning Israel into a military power. He was part of the negotiations that sealed the first Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, garnering a Nobel Peace Prize. He was welcomed like royalty in world capitals.

 

But only at the end of a political career stretching more than 60 years did Peres finally win the widespread admiration of his own people that had eluded him for so long. He died at 93 early Wednesday, his son, Chemi, confirmed at the hospital where Shimon Peres had been treated for the past two weeks.

 

Peres began a new chapter at age 83, assuming the nation's presidency following a scandal that forced his predecessor to step down. The job cemented Peres' transformation from down-and-dirty political operator to elder statesman.

 

"After such a long career, let me just say something: My appetite to manage is over. My inclination to dream and to envisage is greater," Peres told The Associated Press in an interview on July 15, 2007, moments before he was sworn in as president.

 

He said he would not allow his age, or the constraints of a largely ceremonial office, to slow him down. "I'm not in a hurry to pass away," Peres said. "The day will come that I shall not forget to pass away. But until then, I'm not going to waste my life."

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement mourning the passing of Peres. He said he will convene his Cabinet for a special session later in the day.

 

Former President Bill Clinton and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said they had "lost a true and treasured friend" with the death of Shimon Peres. Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush also issued statements of mourning, as did former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

 

As president, Peres tirelessly jetted around the world to represent his country at conferences, ceremonies and international gatherings.

 

He was a fixture at the annual World Economic Forum gathering in Davos, Switzerland, where he was treated like a rock star as the world's rich and powerful listened breathlessly to his every word, on topics ranging from Mideast peace to nanotechnology to the wonders of the human brain... Read more.