The President of the United States on Friday exalted the late former President of Israel to the heights of 20th century greats as he closed tributes at the funeral service in Jerusalem.
Sharing the stage with the flag-draped coffin of Shimon Peres, Barack Obama addressed an audience of world leaders and dignitaries who had gathered at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl national cemetery for the funeral of one the founders of modern Israel.
"In many ways he reminded me of some of the other giants of the 20th century that I've had the honor to meet, men like Nelson Mandela, women like Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth," the American statesman said in a eulogy that lasted almost half an hour.
Obama said that Peres' life encapsulated "the story of the Jewish people."
"A free life in a homeland regained, a secure life of a nation that can defend itself by itself, a full life of a friendship with nations who can be counted on as allies, always... this was Shimon Peres's life," Obama added.
However, the president also acknowledged the presence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the service as a signal that the peace process was ongoing.
The poignancy of Abbas' attendance was captured in a gesture when he was filmed shaking hands with current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a funeral that prompted the biggest security operation in the country's history.
Around 8,000 security agents were deployed onto the streets of Jerusalem to ensure that proceedings would not be hindered amid heightened tension in the region.
Netanyahu and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin also gave personal eulogies at the funeral of Peres.
The late Israeli statesman was described by PM Netanyahu as a "great man of Israel" and a "great man of the world," adding that the world should find hope in his legacy.
Rivlin, who opened the testimonies, said that not only was Peres blessed to have served as both prime minister and president of Israel, but that the country itself was blessed to have been served by Peres.
"People came from near and far to pay tribute to you. All over the world, people will miss you. We here, already do," Rivlin said.
Also in attendance at the Mount Herzl funeral were former US President Bill Clinton, who also spoke at the eulogy, King Felipe VI of Spain and the presidents of Mexico, Germany and France; Enrique Peña Nieto, Joachim Gauck and Francois Hollande, respectively.
The prime ministers of Italy, Matteo Renzi, and Canada, Justin Trudeau, attended as well, as did Prince Charles of Wales.
In a career spanning over six decades, Peres has occupied virtually every major political office in Israel.
He was president from 2007-2014, served twice as prime minister, has represented five political parties in the Knesset (Parliament) and held 12 ministerial positions since he entered politics in the 1950s.
Following the signing of the Oslo Peace Accords in 1994, Peres, as foreign minister, received the Nobel Peace Prize together with then-Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin and Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Yasser Arafat.
News of Peres' death was announced on Wednesday, two weeks after the former statesman suffered a stroke.
Source: EFE
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