Tonight the former president of Israel and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres passed away. World leaders, including the Russian President Vladimir Putin, the US President Barack Obama and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed their condolences to Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to all the Israeli people over the death of one of the country's major political figures.
Vestnik Kavkaza also expresses condolences to the people of Israel over the death of the former president and a true patriot of his country, Shimon Peres.
His personality and achievements is the first thing , which comes to mind to anyone who met with Shimon Peres and had the honor to work with him, the former Russian Ambassador to Israel Pyotr Stegny noted. According to him, Shimon Peres was "one of those giants that have been creating the Jewish state." "His encyclopaedic education, a broad approach to problems always amaze people. His was interested in everything: from the global environment to demography. Speaking about regional Middle East issues, he always enlarges them to the global, universal level. It was extremely interesting and useful to talk to him," the ambassador stressed.
Pyotr Stegny drew attention to Shimon Peres' love for Russia. "He was born in Belarus and his parents were born in the Russian Empire, and it was the same thing for him. He understood Russian language very well, and, speaking of Russia, he have always stressed that our country has a great future, especially highlighting the agriculture sphere. Many times I heard from him that Russia, using Israeli agricultural technologies, will be able to feed the whole world – that was the scale of his approach to all problems, including the Arab-Israeli conflict and the arrangement of the Middle East," he noted.
"Shimon Peres was one of those people who were able to take an objective view on the problems of both today and the future. As a man of the left, social democratic beliefs, Shimon Peres was a staunch supporter of the establishment of a just peace in the Middle East. It was recognized by the Nobel Prize. This politician's death is a loss for Israel, the region and for our common history," Pyotr Stegny concluded.
The International Association Israel-Azerbaijan 'AzIz' expressed the deep sorrow over the death of Shimon Peres, calling him a great friend of Azerbaijan.
It is known that the first state visit by Shimon Peres was to Azerbaijan. "This visit started a diplomatic breakthrough, and the relations between the two countries have become mutual and constructive. It is symbolic that when the entire Muslim world opposed itself to the State of Israel, Azerbaijan - the eastern Shiite country -is rapidly developing its relations with Israel, showing reasonable diplomacy and flexible strategic thinking. The Azerbaijani community of Israel is deeply saddened by the death of one of the most famous sons of the Jewish people, who made an invaluable contribution to the policy of peace and friendship among peoples," the International Association Israel-Azerbaijan stressed.
Shimon Peres, speaking with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, spoke warmly about the national leader of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev. "I was impressed by his inexhaustible determination to achieve and ensure a better future for his people and his country by promoting economic growth and the opening of Azerbaijan for a new and changing world, coupled with the freedom of religion. Indeed, the Jewish community of Azerbaijan is living in peace and security . and the Jews who immigrated from Azerbaijan in Israel, are a cultural bridge between the two countries. Due to friendly positions of President Aliyev in relation to freedom, tolerance, and promote international relations between Israel and Azerbaijan emerged friendship," Peres said about Heydar Aliyev for the book titled 'Going ahead. On the 90th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev'.
The head of the department of Israel and Jewish Communities Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Tatyana Karasova, also stressed that Shimon Peres was a political figure of global scale, and it is hardly possible to overestimate his role in the history of Israel. "First of all, Peres was one of those who sought to create a state and has done a lot to strengthen it in the military, economic, cultural and other spheres. He was a very strong politician and diplomat, a man who soberly assessed the situation and could always defend his opinion," the expert said.
"There were moments when he was forced to go into opposition. It was he who made the so-called peace process possible, the agreements with the Palestine Liberation Organization have been achieved and a peace treaty with Jordan has been signed through his personal efforts ," the head of the department of Israel and Jewish Communities Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies recalled.
Karasova highlighted that even ideological opponents of Shimon Peres have always gave him credit. "Therefore, common people will remember him as a hero of Israel and politicians - as an associate or a worthy opponent," the expert noted.
A Political scientist Zeaev Khanin, agreed with her. "In fact, Shimon Peres is the last representative of the generation of the state's founders, developing the ideas of Golda Meir, David Ben-Gurion and Ze'ev Jabotinsky. Shimon Peres will be remembered as the crisis manager, who realized the major public projects, from the military industry to construction of research centers, from the defense of Israel to the government management," the expert pointed out.
A year ago Shimon Peres addressed the Yalta European Strategy forum in Kiev. In fact, it was his political testament to all the states and their citizens.
"All people have a very high potential. But they are a little bit lazy. You need to work hard if you want to achieve something. Nothing falls from the sky. We have worked very hard. What's bad about this? I do not know... People go on vacation - it's a waste of time. I'm already 90 and I've never been on vacation. They say, "Are you crazy? How do you relax?" I prefer to work. I get pleasure from work. And do not be pessimistic – that is also a waste of time, especially when times are changing," Shimon Peres noted in the first place.
"It is necessary to follow science. Science has no borders, limits, science has no reflection. Do not try to solve the problems of the past, I don't know if it's possible. The past does not play any role. Just learn it, so you do not repeat old mistakes. In the past, there is no future, no hope. Most people prefer to remember but not to imagine – this is the biggest mistake. What do you want to remember? All the mistakes that have been made? You can't rely on history. The historians were heralds of kings and those who were in power – they said what they needed to say," he recalled.
People ask me sometimes: if you look back, what were your biggest mistakes? I answer that we thought that we had great dreams. And now we understand that they were not that great. Dream big. The greater your dream, the more you'll get. Your young generation is great. But what makes me angry about them – they despise politics. They say that politics is corrupt, it is not for us. I say: if you are honest, and you want honest politics – then go ahead and make an honest policy. These are all the lessons that I have myself learned from the past," Shimon Peres concluded, adding that it is very easy to stay active: "Keep your accomplishments and dreams in mind. If you have more dreams than achievements, this means you are still young. Otherwise you are old".
