A sign of hope as Abbas meets Netanyahu
- by Erica Wilson
- in Local
- — Oct 2, 2016
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (C-L) shaking hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) during the funeral of former Israeli premier Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on September 30, 2016.
Netanyahu and Abbas have not held face-to-face talks since 2010.
Although Israeli media outlets speculated in advance about the possibility of a new handshake in Jerusalem on Friday, Haaretz newspaper argued that the gesture would have little impact.
"How deep was your belief in the sacred combination of ethical leadership and military prowess, that Israel must act not just with wisdom, but with justice, faithful at every moment to its values as a Jewish and democratic state, democratic and Jewish", the president added.
Shimon Peres was buried Friday atop Mount Herzl alongside other Israeli leaders.
US President Barack Obama lauded Peres' legacy in a speech at the former Israeli leader's funeral.
Mr. Peres was never naive about that quest, but he understood that security comes from peace with your neighbors, the president said. Threats are ever present.
Wearing a Jewish skullcap as a sign of respect and reverence, Obama said he was the 10th president to fall prey to Peres' charms and they forged an unlikely friendship, despite the almost four-decade gap in their ages and starkly different backgrounds.
"We must split this house into two apartments", Oz said. "I loved you. We all loved you".
He said Peres never exhausted, never dwelled on the past, and always seemed to have another project in the works.
Peres' commitment to Israel's security and pursuit of peace was "rooted in his own unshakeable moral foundation and unflagging optimism" the USA leader said in a statement.
The two men had been political rivals, and Netanyahu recalled a late-night discussion on Israel's future with Peres in which they discussed security and peace.
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In an emotional eulogy, Mr Clinton described Peres as a "wide champion of our common humanity".
Abbas, who signed the Oslo accords along with Peres, however called him a "brave" partner for peace.
Thousands of admirers and dozens of worldwide dignitaries attended the funeral in a final tribute to Peres and his remarkable seven-decade political career.
It was an emotional return for Clinton, who eulogized Rabin at the same spot in Jerusalem following his assassination 21 years ago.
Israel is now considered the Middle East's sole nuclear power, but it has never declared it, maintaining a policy of ambiguity.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Jordanian Prime Minister Jawad Anani were also in attendance.
My friends, Shimon Peres not only led a long life, but a meaningful life.
Some 70 countries were to be represented, with the range of leaders illustrating the respect Peres gained over the years in his transformation from hawk to committed peace advocate.
Obama however sat next to Netanyahu during the funeral, and the two men have put aside their differences in recent months to agree a decade-long $38 billion defence aid package for Israel. He was a great man of the world.
In turn, Peres bestowed the Medal of Distinction on Obama, making him the first sitting US president to receive Israel's highest civilian honor.
"I'm so happy", Sara Netanyahu said.
