Israel: 'Farewell to our beloved father' - Shimon Peres' son

A press conference was held Wednesday at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, to announce that former Israeli President Shimon Peres had died at the age of 93. His son, his personal doctor and the director of the hospital, addressed the media and expressed their sorrow and highlighted his contribution to Israel.
"Today, with deep sorrow, we bid farewell to our beloved father; the ninth president of Israel, Shimon Peres," said Chemi Peres, Shimon Peres' son. "Today we sense that the entire nation of Israel and the global community, mourn this great loss. We share this pain together," he added.
Israel has declared a day of national mourning after the country's longest serving politician passed away in the early hours of the morning. Condolences have begun pouring in from politicians all over the world including United States President Barack Obama.
Peres’ funeral is scheduled to take place Friday and many world leaders are expected to attend.
Born in Poland in 1923 Peres immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1932. He was a two-time president and also served as prime minister in a political career spanning 70 years. In 1994, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (along with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Liberation Organisation Chairman Yasser Arafat) for his role in negotiating the Oslo Accords.
He is survived by three children, a daughter and two sons. His wife, Sonya, died in 2011.
Before his retirement, Peres was the oldest head of state in the world. He remained politically and publicly active up until his death, focusing in particular on his non-governmental organisation, 'Peres Centre for Peace,' which promotes closer ties between Israelis and Palestinians.