Shalom, Shimon

When the news came through that Shimon Peres had died, it was a reminder that a rubicon had been passed. Peres is the final member of the group of gallant fighters and noble visionaries responsible for the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.

In our own country, the date of July 4, 1826, the exact 50th anniversary celebration of our Declaration of Independence, is similarly recalled. It was on that date the last two of our founding fathers – John Adams and Thomas Jefferson – both of whom had followed George Washington as President, expired within five hours of each other.

The loss of a founding father, much less a national leader,  always gives the media opportunity to look to past accomplishments and recognitions. In the case of Shimon Peres, he was truly an elder statesman – a  former Prime Minister and Interim Prime Minister – each twice – and a continual member of the Knesset every year from 1959 until 2007.  Peres transformed the ceremonial office of Israeli president into a position of prominence among other world leaders from 2007 until his retirement in 2014. At that time he was recognized as the oldest head of state.

Peres began his work as a dedicated freedom fighter, military leader and an early hawk, closely associated with David Ben Gurion and Moshe Dayan. He supported the rights of the West Bank settlers to build on disputed lands. Later though, like Ariel Sharon, he altered those views and became a proponent for peace.  Peres was recognized as a diplomat and a Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work as Foreign Minister in helping to implement the Oslo Peace Accords. That a lasting peace was never achieved was one of the great regrets in his life.

“Optimists and pessimists die the same way. They just live differently. I prefer to be an optimist.” Peres once observed. These words may be a fitting epitaph for his memorial at Mt. Herzl on Friday at what is expected to be the largest state funeral in Israel since the assassination of Itzhak Rabin.

And so we say goodbye to Shimon Peres and in so doing employ the Hebrew greeting that means both hello and goodbye as well as peace: shalom.