Obama, Bill Clinton expected: World leaders to attend Shimon Peres funeral
World leaders will travel to Israel to attend the funeral on Friday of former Israeli president and prime minister Shimon Peres.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said those expected to attend include President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, former president Bill Clinton, Britain’s Prince Charles, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President François Hollande.
The White House has not confirmed Obama's attendance.
Peres died early Wednesday at age 93 after having a major stroke on Sept. 13. He was taken to a hospital near Tel Aviv where he was in a serious condition until his death.
“A light has gone out, but the hope he gave us will burn forever,” Obama said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
Former president George H. W. Bush said: “Barbara and I join Shimon Peres’ countless admirers around the world in saluting his singular life of service — to the universal cause of freedom, to the timeless cause of Israel, to the noblest cause of peace.”
Pope Francis sent a telegram to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin conveying his "heartfelt condolences" to Rivlin and the Israeli people.
"I fondly recall my time with Mr. Peres at the Vatican and renew my great appreciation for the late president's tireless efforts in favor of peace," the telegram said, according to the Vatican.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement that she was "deeply saddened” by the death of “a visionary and courageous statesman.”
“My thoughts go out to the Israeli people and the family of Shimon Peres as they mourn the loss of a beloved father and compatriot — a great man who epitomized optimism and a belief that by working together we can build a brighter future for generations to come,” she added.
Shimon Peres, Israel's defense and peace leader, dies after stroke
Peres’ body will lie in state Thursday at Israel's Parliament, or Knesset, to allow the public to pay respects. The funeral will be Friday at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem — the national cemetery.
Peres, a former soldier who fought for Israel's war of independence, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 jointly with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for forging a peace deal with the Palestinians — the Oslo Accords.
Peres held nearly every high political office in Israel over a 55-year political career, including three terms as prime minister and posts as foreign minister, finance minister and deputy defense minister. He served as president from 2007 to 2014.