TEL AVIV, Israel (CCTV) — Israel is mourning for the loss of former President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who died on Wednesday.
The cabinet on Wednesday morning stood for a minute of silence. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then spoke in a video address in which he praised the former president’s devotion to Israel and his work to promote peace with neighboring countries. Netanyahu said Peres will always be remembered as “the beloved of the nation.”
Following the death of Peres, Israel’s major newspapers, television stations, and websites all made special reports, remembering Peres’ extraordinary life and his contribution to his nation.
The Israeli public has also expressed sadness over Peres’s passing.
“My feelings are very complex today. Last night I stayed up the whole night but eventually the bad news came. We still can’t believe he’s gone,” said Tami Hay-Sagiv, a Tel Aviv resident.
“We’ve all been following Peres’ health condition. We all think of him as an extraordinary leader, and we hoped for a miracle. But in the end things went against our will, which is a pity,” said Sigal Keshet, another resident.
“He was a close friend; he was a mentor; he was a father, like a father to me. And I feel heartbroken. I feel heartbroken also for Israel, and for the world. Because I think the world lost one of its greatest statesmen, a giant,” said Dan Gillerman, Israel’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Peres will lie in state outside Israel’s parliament on Thursday for citizens to file past and pay last respects. He will be buried in Jerusalem on Friday.