On Wednesday morning, the world lost a great man; a man bigger than politics, whose name alone is synonymous with the state of Israel.
Born in Poland in 1923, Shimon Peres moved to British-mandated Palestine in 1934. There, he not only dreamed of a Jewish nation, but he also fought courageously to realize that dream, first as a key figure in the 1948 War of Independence and later as a statesman and politician in almost every Israeli conflict since.
At a very young age, Peres was personally picked by Israel’s founding father, David Ben-Gurion, to carry out important missions. He was in charge of acquiring weapons for Israel’s war of independence, and subsequently made arms deals with France that led to another victory for Israel in 1967. Likewise, he was instrumental in developing Israel’s indispensable nuclear program in a country whose enemies had no tolerance for its existence.
However, it was not only his diligent efforts to build up Israel’s military might, his role in developing Israel’s major industries, Israel’s nuclear program or the fact that he was prime minister twice and a president that made him a great man. It was also his dream of a lasting peace with perpetually hostile Arab neighbors. He was the mastermind behind the 1993 Oslo Accord with Yasser Arafat, the chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which earned him a Nobel Peace Prize and gave hope to millions who longed for peace.
In a country that often forgets the remarkable journey that was the founding of Israel, Peres was the last remaining symbol of that remarkable journey. He showed the world that Israel would fight when necessary, but also seek peace when the time was right.
However, his endeavors were not without controversy. After his negotiations with King Hussein of Jordan over Palestinian self-determination failed, Peres pursued the idea of speaking directly with the PLO, which was viewed as a terrorist organization by many Israelis. The PLO was responsible for multiple atrocities such as the massacre of 22 school children in Ma’alot and the infamous Munich massacre, which left 11 Israeli Olympians dead. The list of PLO atrocities is long, bloody and tragic.
Still, Peres engaged in direct negotiations with the PLO in the name of peace. He dreamed of a “New Middle East” where Israel would not only have peaceful relations with its Arab neighbors, but be economically integrated in a flourishing Middle East.
Unfortunately, Peres’ dream has since been put on hold, first by the dissolution of multilateral peace in Egypt, and then by the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, that erupted shortly after Israel made far-reaching concessions to the Palestinians in exchange for peace. That violent series of events left 4,000 dead and the peace agreement in shambles. Since then relations between Israel and Palestine have gone downhill and negotiations for peace are currently at an impasse.
However, Peres never lost hope, and it is with this hope that he leaves us at the age of 93. Like his mentor, David Ben-Gurion, Peres was a dreamer, pragmatist and believer in the enterprise and innovation that created the nation of Israel. Peres passed away as a beloved figure who contributed to the development of the miracle that is Israel and as a symbol of peace and optimism. Today, he is no longer with us, but his dream and his hope for the world lives on.
Julian Fleischman is a UF political science and telecommunication senior. His column appears on Fridays.
