Shimon Peres laid to rest
The body of former Israeli Prime Minister and President Shimon Peres was laid to rest Friday in a funeral attended by world leaders flanked by heavy security.
Early Friday morning, Peres’ casket was loaded onto a hearse for the drive from the Knesset — the Israeli parliament of which he was a member for more than 45 years — to the national cemetery at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl.
A long list of dignitaries and foreign leaders arrived in Jerusalem to pay their respects, including President Barack Obama, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the leaders of France and Germany.
Around 8,000 police officers have been deployed at key locations to protect world leaders amid fears of a “lone wolf” terrorist attack.
Though Israel Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told CNN Thursday that there was “no concrete intelligence whatsoever” about any potential attacks.
Israeli police confirmed in a statement Friday that a right-wing activist was detained for questioning on suspicion of planning to “carry out an action during the funeral of Shimon Peres.”
Police did not identify the suspect, say where the detention took place or what they suspected was planned.
In the final eulogy of the service, Obama made reference to the presence of President Abbas, stating it was a “gesture and a reminder of the unfinished business of peace.”
He also said that Peres recognized the need for a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
“Out of the hardships of the diaspora, he found room in his heart for others who suffered,” Obama said
“Even in the face of terror attacks, even after repeated failures in negotiations, he recognized Palestinian self-determination.
“He believed the Zionist idea would be best protected when Palestinians too had a state of their own.”
He recalled his time spent with Peres fondly, a man who was continually enthusiastic about his grandchildren, his love of technology and “a love of words and books and history.”
“Shimon showed us that justice and hope are at the heart of the Zionist idea,” Obama said.
“A free life in a homeland regained. A secure life in a nation that can defend itself, by itself. A full life in friendship with nations that can be counted on as allies, always.
“This was Shimon Peres’s life. This is the State of Israel. This is the story of the Jewish people during the last century.”
In his eulogy, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Peres had “lived a live of purpose… he was a great man of Israel, he was a great man of the world.”
He added: “Israel grieves for him, the world grieves for him, but we find hope in his legacy, as does the world.”
Former US president Clinton made an impassioned speech, claiming that Peres’ “critics described him as a naive, over-optimistic dreamer. They were only wrong about the naive part.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who gave the first eulogy, said that Peres was “the man of whom we thought time could never stop.”
“Your stubborn faith in mankind and the good of people — in the victory of progress over ignorance, in the victory of hope over fear — was your eternal fountain of youth, thanks to which you were the eternal fountain of youth for all of us.”
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