“Just a few days ago, I wished Shimon [Peres] a speedy recovery, from the hearts of all Israelis and so many from around the world,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a televised statement this morning.

“We all prayed that Shimon, with his unique strength and his unique vigor, would somehow come out of this. Would somehow come back to us. To my deep sorrow, this prayer was not answered.”

[lz_third_party align=center includes=https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/781085641262112768]

Peres is being remembered as one of the last of a generation of Israeli politicians who fought his entire career for peace and whose life and work has inspired countless others around the world. News arrived late last night that the former Israeli prime minister and president died at the age of 93.

Peres suffered a stroke two weeks ago. While long-term recovery is possible with stroke, massive strokes, especially in the elderly, are often fatal. The family of the Israeli leader reported he had been sedated and was on a respirator throughout most of his hospitalization. It appeared at one point that he might have been improving, but his son, Chemi, confirmed his death Wednesday morning at the hospital where Peres was being treated.

Israeli government ministers offered a moment of silence hours after Peres’ death. “This is the first day of the state of Israel without Shimon Peres. I admired him. I loved him,” said Netanyahu.

Peres served twice as the country’s prime minister and once as president. He was a Nobel prize-winning visionary who pushed his country toward peace.

[lz_third_party align=center includes=https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/781055765394128896]

“Our father’s legacy has always been to look to tomorrow,” Chemi Peres told reporters. “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.”

Peres had a lot of work he still wanted to do — he created the non-governmental Peres Center for Peace, which raises funds for cooperation and development projects involving Israel, the Palestinians, and Arab nations. He returned to it at age 91 when he completed his term as president, the Associated Press reported.

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

[lz_ndn video=31447427]

Shimon Perski was born on Aug. 2, 1923, in Vishneva, then part of Poland. He moved to British-occupied Palestine in 1934 with his immediate family. His grandfather and other relatives stayed behind and perished in the Holocaust. Rising quickly through Labor Party ranks, he became a top aide to David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister and a man Peres once called “the greatest Jew of our time.”