Israel Ambassador to Kenya Yahel Vilan mourns Shimon Peres

Israeli Ambassador-designate to Kenya Yahel Vilan PHOTO: COURTESY

Israel Ambassador to Kenya Yahel Vilan has mourned the fallen former Prime Minister Shimon Peres praising his role not just as a peace maker but one of the founding fathers of the State of Israel.

In a terse statement, the envoy said Israel has lost a remarkable statesman, visionary, philanthropist and an enormous trailblazer who fought for the unity of his people to achieve peace that would last for generations.

“Over his seven-decade career, Shimon Peres took a major role in the establishment of the state of Israel as among the founding fathers of the state,” he said.

The ninth president of Israel and former Premier died yesterday morning at the age of 93.

Peres first became a member of the Israeli Parliament, Knesset in 1959 and since then served in many government positions including Minister of Finance, Defence, and Foreign before serving as Prime Minister for three terms.

He was awarded a Nobel Peace prize as a front-runner for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians in 1994, together with Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin and Yasser Arafat.

Ambassador Yahel recognised Peres’ dedication to promoting understanding between people and to improve the lives of Israelis and Palestinians since concluding his term as President of the State of Israel.