Shimon Peres

Shimon Peres
Born	Szymon Perski 2 8, 1923
Birthplace	Wiszniew, Nowogródek Voivodeship, Poland
Died	Template:Death date and age Ramat Gan, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Occupation	Politician, statesman
Known for	Oslo Accords, Israel–Jordan peace treaty, longest-serving Knesset member
Spouse(s)	Sonia Gelman (m. 1945)
Children	3
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize (1994)

Shimon Peres (Template:Lang-he; born Szymon Perski; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician and statesman whose public career spanned seven decades, from the founding years of the State of Israel to the second decade of the twenty-first century. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and again from 1995 to 1996, and as the ninth President of Israel from 2007 to 2014. A member of twelve cabinets who represented five political parties over the course of his career, Peres served in the Knesset for 48 years — the longest tenure of any member in the body's history. As foreign minister under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Peres played a central role in negotiating the Oslo Accords with the Palestinian leadership and engineered the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty. For these efforts, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, shared with Rabin and Yasser Arafat. At the time of his retirement from politics in 2014, Peres was the world's oldest serving head of state and was considered the last surviving link to Israel's founding generation — the last prime minister to have made aliyah rather than having been born on territory that would become Israel. He died on 28 September 2016 at Sheba Medical Center after suffering a major stroke.

Early Life

Szymon Perski was born on 2 August 1923 in the village of Wiszniew (now Vishnyeva, Belarus) in the Nowogródek Voivodeship of the Second Polish Republic. His father was a lumber merchant, and the family lived within the Jewish community of the village. The young Perski grew up in a milieu where Yiddish, Polish, and Hebrew were spoken, and he was exposed to Zionist ideas from an early age.

In 1934, at the age of eleven, Peres emigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine with his family, settling in what would become the State of Israel. Most of the relatives who remained behind in Wiszniew perished during the Holocaust, a fact that profoundly shaped his worldview throughout his life. Among his notable relatives was the American actress Lauren Bacall, who was his cousin.

Upon arriving in Palestine, the family adopted the Hebrew surname Peres. The young Shimon was educated in agricultural schools and became involved in the Zionist youth movement. He attended the Ben Shemen Youth Village and later studied at the Geula Gymnasium. He became active in the labor Zionist movement and joined Kibbutz Alumot in the lower Galilee region, where he worked in farming and took on leadership roles within the kibbutz structure.

It was during this formative period that Peres came to the attention of David Ben-Gurion, the dominant figure in the Yishuv (the pre-state Jewish community in Palestine) and later the founding prime minister of Israel. Ben-Gurion recognized the young man's oratorical abilities and organizational talent and took him on as a protégé — a relationship that would define the early trajectory of Peres's career in politics and defense.

Career

Early Political and Defense Career (1940s–1950s)

Peres began his political career in the late 1940s, during the final years of the British Mandate and the tumultuous period surrounding the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Under the mentorship of David Ben-Gurion, he was assigned a series of diplomatic and military positions. His early work focused on arms procurement and the development of Israel's defense infrastructure, tasks that were of existential importance to the newly established state.

In 1952, at the age of 28, Peres was appointed deputy director general of the Ministry of Defense — a remarkably young age for such a senior position. The following year, in 1953, he was elevated to director general, a post he held until 1959. During this period, Peres was instrumental in establishing Israel's defense relationships with Western powers, particularly France. He played a central role in securing arms deals that helped build the young state's military capabilities during a period of significant regional tension.

One of the most consequential episodes of Peres's early career was his involvement in the 1956 negotiations surrounding the Protocol of Sèvres, the secret agreement between Israel, France, and the United Kingdom that preceded the Suez Crisis. British Prime Minister Anthony Eden described these negotiations as the "highest form of statesmanship." The Sèvres agreement coordinated a joint military operation against Egypt following President Gamal Abdel Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal. Peres's role in these negotiations underscored his growing importance in Israeli strategic affairs and cemented his reputation as a skilled behind-the-scenes operator.

During his tenure at the Ministry of Defense, Peres was also deeply involved in the development of Israel's nuclear program, overseeing the construction of the Dimona nuclear reactor in the Negev desert with French assistance. This program, which Israel has never officially confirmed or denied, is considered one of the most significant strategic decisions in the country's history.

Knesset Career and Ministerial Service (1959–1984)

Peres was first elected to the Knesset in November 1959, representing the Mapai party, the dominant force in Israeli politics at the time. Except for a brief three-month period out of office in early 2006, he served continuously as a member of the Knesset until his election as president in 2007 — a span of nearly 48 years, making him the longest-serving member in the Knesset's history.

In 1963, Peres conducted negotiations with U.S. President John F. Kennedy that resulted in the sale of Hawk anti-aircraft missiles to Israel. This transaction marked the first sale of American military equipment to Israel and laid the groundwork for what would become a defining strategic relationship between the two countries.

Throughout the 1960s, Peres's political affiliation evolved. When Ben-Gurion broke with Mapai to form Rafi in 1965, Peres followed his mentor into the new party. Rafi later merged into the Labor Alignment, and Peres continued his career within that framework.

From 1969 to 1970, Peres served as Minister of Immigrant Absorption, his first cabinet portfolio. He then served as Minister of Transportation and Communications from 1970 to 1974. Following the political upheaval caused by the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Peres was appointed Minister of Defense in 1974, serving under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin until 1977.

The rivalry between Peres and Rabin became one of the defining dynamics in Israeli politics during the 1970s. The two men competed for the leadership of the Labor Party, and their relationship was characterized by deep mutual suspicion even as they worked together in government. When Rabin resigned as prime minister in April 1977, in the wake of a financial scandal involving his wife, Peres briefly served as acting prime minister until the Likud party's Menachem Begin won the subsequent elections in June 1977.

Prime Minister (1984–1986)

Peres became prime minister in September 1984 as part of a national unity government formed after inconclusive election results. Under the terms of a rotation agreement, Peres served as prime minister for the first two years while Yitzhak Shamir of Likud served as foreign minister; the two then swapped positions in October 1986.

Peres's tenure as prime minister was marked by significant economic reforms. Israel was experiencing hyperinflation when he took office, with the annual inflation rate exceeding 400 percent. Peres implemented an emergency economic stabilization plan that dramatically reduced inflation and restructured the Israeli economy. This plan is considered one of the most successful anti-inflation programs in economic history and earned Peres significant domestic and international recognition.

During this period, Peres also ordered the withdrawal of the bulk of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, where they had been stationed since the 1982 Lebanon War, maintaining only a narrow security zone along the border.

After swapping positions with Shamir in 1986, Peres served as Minister of Foreign Affairs until 1988. He then served as Minister of Finance from 1988 to 1990 within the continued national unity government framework.

Oslo Accords and Nobel Peace Prize (1992–1996)

The most internationally recognized phase of Peres's career began in 1992, when the Labor Party returned to power under Yitzhak Rabin. Peres was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in this capacity he became the chief architect of the secret negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993.

The Oslo Accords represented a landmark attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict through mutual recognition and a phased peace process. The secret negotiations, conducted in the Norwegian capital, resulted in the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, signed on the White House lawn on 13 September 1993. Under the agreement, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) recognized each other, and a framework was established for Palestinian self-governance in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Peres also engineered the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, which normalized relations between Israel and Jordan, making it only the second Arab country (after Egypt) to establish formal diplomatic ties with Israel.

In recognition of these diplomatic achievements, Peres was awarded the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize, shared with Prime Minister Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. The award cited their joint efforts "to create peace in the Middle East."

Following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin on 4 November 1995 by a right-wing Israeli extremist, Peres succeeded him as prime minister. He simultaneously held the defense portfolio, serving from November 1995 to June 1996. However, in the May 1996 elections — the first in which Israelis directly elected their prime minister — Peres narrowly lost to Benjamin Netanyahu of Likud. The election took place in the aftermath of a series of suicide bombings by Hamas and amid controversy over Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

Peres Center for Peace and Later Career (1996–2007)

Following his electoral defeat in 1996, Peres founded the Peres Center for Peace with the stated aim of promoting lasting peace and advancement in the Middle East by fostering tolerance, economic and technological development, cooperation, and well-being. The center became a platform for Peres's continued advocacy of Israeli–Palestinian dialogue and regional cooperation.

Peres returned to government in 2001 when he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, serving until 2002. This appointment, which saw a veteran Labor politician serving under a Likud prime minister, reflected both Peres's elder statesman status and the tumultuous political dynamics of the Second Intifada period.

In a development that shocked the Israeli political establishment, Peres left the Labor Party in November 2005 to join Kadima, the new centrist party established by Ariel Sharon. In the January 2006 Knesset elections, Peres ran on the Kadima list but, due to the party's internal list arrangements, spent approximately three months outside the Knesset before returning in April 2006 — the only interruption in his decades-long parliamentary service.

Presidency (2007–2014)

On 13 June 2007, the Knesset elected Shimon Peres as the ninth President of Israel, succeeding Moshe Katsav, who had been forced from office amid criminal charges. Peres assumed office on 15 July 2007 at the age of 83, making him one of the oldest people to assume a head-of-state position.

As president — a largely ceremonial role in Israel's parliamentary system — Peres served as a symbol of national unity and a global ambassador for Israel. He used the office to promote his vision of Middle Eastern peace and to advocate for innovation and technology as drivers of economic development. He met with numerous world leaders and addressed international forums, including a speech before the German Bundestag on 27 January 2010, marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

During his presidency, Peres was an outspoken advocate on various international issues. In 2006, prior to assuming the presidency, he made headlines for his remarks on Iran, stating that Iran "can also be wiped off the map" in response to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's threats against Israel.

Peres's seven-year presidential term concluded on 24 July 2014, when he was succeeded by Reuven Rivlin. At the time of his retirement, Peres was the world's oldest serving head of state.

Personal Life

Shimon Peres married Sonia Gelman in 1945. The couple had three children, including daughter Tsvia and sons Chemi and Nehemia (Noni). Sonia Peres was known for maintaining a private life away from the public spotlight throughout her husband's long political career.

Peres was a cousin of American actress Lauren Bacall, a connection through their shared family roots in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. His nephew, Uzi Peres, was also involved in Israeli public life.

In addition to his political activities, Peres was a prolific author, publishing numerous books on Middle Eastern politics, Israeli history, and his vision for the future of the region. He was known for his eloquence and philosophical approach to political questions, often framing Israel's challenges in terms of technological innovation and the pursuit of peace.

Peres suffered a major stroke on 13 September 2016 and was hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer, near Ramat Gan. He died on 28 September 2016, at the age of 93. His funeral, held at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, was attended by dozens of world leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton, and representatives from across the globe, reflecting his stature as an international statesman. He was buried at Mount Herzl, Israel's national cemetery.

Recognition

Peres received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. The most prominent was the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize, shared with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, for their efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East through the Oslo Accords.

In 2008, Peres was awarded an honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) by the United Kingdom, a distinction conferred on foreign heads of state and senior dignitaries.

The Socialist International, of which Peres was a longtime member through the Israeli Labor Party, issued a statement of mourning upon his death, noting his decades of service as president, prime minister, and foreign minister and his commitment to the cause of peace.

In September 2025, the Israel Information Center organized an event honoring the achievements of Peres alongside those of former Prime Minister Moshe Sharett, as part of an annual award ceremony commemorating deceased national leaders.

In February 2026, the city of Paris inaugurated a public square named in Peres's honor — Place Shimon Peres — in recognition of his years of diplomacy and his role in forging strategic ties between Israel and France dating back to the 1950s. Peres's son Chemi attended the inauguration and stated, "This is closure; my father forged the strategic ties with France, which to this day remains a partner of Israel." The naming of the square drew both praise and criticism, with far-left French politicians objecting to the honor while supporters argued it completed the "Parisian topography of great leaders."

Legacy

Shimon Peres's political career, spanning from the pre-state period to the twenty-first century, made him a unique figure in Israeli history. He was the last serving prime minister to have been born outside the territory that would become Israel, and at the time of his death he was considered the final link to the generation that founded the state in 1948.

Peres's legacy is complex and multifaceted. His role in developing Israel's defense capabilities — including the nuclear program at Dimona, the arms procurement networks with France, and the first American military equipment sale to Israel — made him a central figure in the country's security establishment during its formative decades. Simultaneously, his later career was defined by his pursuit of peace with Israel's Arab neighbors and with the Palestinians, culminating in the Oslo Accords and the Israel–Jordan peace treaty.

The Peres Center for Peace, which he founded in 1996, continued to operate after his death, serving as an institutional embodiment of his vision for regional cooperation through economic development, technology, and people-to-people engagement.

His tenure as president, though largely ceremonial, allowed Peres to serve as an international spokesman for Israel and as an advocate for innovation and technology. He championed what he termed the "new Middle East," a concept premised on the idea that economic interdependence and technological progress could transform the region's political dynamics.

The 2026 inauguration of Place Shimon Peres in Paris reflected his enduring international reputation, particularly in France, where his diplomatic efforts in the 1950s had helped build the Franco-Israeli strategic relationship. At the same time, the protests surrounding the naming highlighted the contested nature of his legacy, particularly among those critical of Israeli policy toward the Palestinians.

Peres served in the Knesset for 48 years and held ministerial portfolios spanning defense, foreign affairs, finance, transportation, and immigrant absorption. He led both the Alignment and Labor parties, and ended his career in Kadima. Few political figures in any democracy have matched the breadth and duration of his public service.