By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Sept 30: The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama yesterday in a letter addressed to the Peres Peace House expressed regret over the passing away of last of the founders of the state of Israel, Shimon Peres, who passed away on Sept. 28 earlier this week aged 93. He was hospitalized two weeks earlier following a stroke.
The Tibetan leader condoling his family members wrote, “Mr. Peres and I met on several occasions in different places over the years, the last being Jordan in 2006 when we were attending a conference of Nobel Laureates and other thinkers addressing global concerns.”
The Tibetan leader expressed his admiration for the late statesman’s “efforts to promote peace between Israel and Palestine, which actually did lead to the historic Oslo Peace Accords of 1993.”
Peres had over 70 years of political experience under his belt, spearheading peace efforts with its neighbor and arch rival Palestine with the historic Oslo Accords for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize the following year. He also negotiated the first ever arms deal with the United States with JF Kennedy in 1963 over the purchase of Hawk anti-aircraft missiles.
His greatest contribution in terms of sheer effort, was establishing the Peres Peace House in 1996 to bring peace in the Middle-East by promoting tolerance, cooperation and economic and technological development. Although considered a leader pushing for peace, his term wasn’t without violent measures, in 1996 two years after his Nobel Peace prize, he initiated an extensive air raid and shelling over Southern Lebanon that killed 106 Lebanese and hit a UN compound in the area.
His funeral this morning was attended by over 90 delegations from 70 different countries including US President Barrack Obama, French President François Hollande, Canadian PM Justin Tradeau, former US President Bill Clinton and former British PM David Cameron among others. And despite tense relation between Israel and Palestine and objection from Arab community, President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas also attended the funeral to pay his respects.
The former President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Finance and member of the Knesset of Israel and widely lauded as “Shimon Peres the optimist and dreamer” was laid to rest in the National cemetery at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, considered to be sacred ground by Jews.
