Shimon Peres dead: Obama leads tributes to Israel's longest-serving politician
'A light has gone out, but the hope he gave us will burn forever'
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Your support makes all the difference.The former Israeli President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres has died, aged 93, prompting an outpouring of reactions from around the world.
US President Barack Obama led the tributes, which came from world leaders, leading lights of Israeli politics, and family and friends.
Peres was part of the negotiations which led to the first Israeli-Palestinian accord, and he was received with adulation throughout the world well into his old age.
The elder statesman died early on Wednesday, his son Chemi confirmed, at the hospital where Peres had been treated for the past two weeks.
Mr Obama said: "A light has gone out, but the hope he gave us will burn forever.
"Shimon Peres was a soldier for Israel, for the Jewish people, for justice, for peace, and for the belief that we can be true to our best selves — to the very end of our time on Earth, and in the legacy that we leave to others. For the gift of his friendship and the example of his leadership, todah rabah, Shimon."
Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister, said: "I am more sad than words can express. This is a man who was a political giant, a statesman who will rank as one of the foremost of this era or any era, and someone I loved deeply. He was an inspiration, a mentor and a friend. His intellect, his way with words that was eloquent beyond description, his command of the world and how it was changing were extraordinary.
"Though he grew older, his spirit never did. Above all, his commitment to peace and his belief that it was in the interests of the country he adored marked him out as a visionary whose vision was never dimmed or displaced. He saw every setback as a spur to further action and every moment of hope as a sign of what could be done."
Current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara "expressed deep personal sorrow over the passing of the nation's beloved former president, Shimon Peres", a statement read. "The prime minister will deliver a special address this morning and convene the cabinet for a mourning session," it added.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: "My wife Lucy had the honor of visiting Shimon Peres a few months ago, at the Peres Centre for Peace. He told her the secret of perpetual youth was to ensure that your list of dreams always remained longer than your list of achievements. On that test, Shimon Peres remained the youngest of leaders."
And Chemi Peres, Shimon's son, said: "Today with deep sorrow we bid farewell to our beloved father, the 9th president of Israel. Our father's legacy has always been to look to tomorrow. We were privileged to be part of his private family, but today we sense that the entire nation of Israel and the global community share this great loss. We share this pain together."
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