Israel pays its respects to Peres

Associated Press

JERUSALEM

Thousands of Israelis flocked to parliament Thursday to view the casket of Shimon Peres, paying final respects to the former president and prime minister whose life story mirrored that of his country.

Dignitaries began arriving for a funeral that is expected to be Israel’s largest since that of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Peres’ partner in peace who was slain by a Jewish nationalist in 1995.

Peres’ office said more than 90 delegations from 70 countries have confirmed their participation, including U.S. President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, German President Joachim Gauck, Prince Charles of Britain and King Felipe VI of Spain.

After an initial hesitation due to the collapse of peace efforts, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also confirmed his participation, as did representatives from Egypt and Jordan – the two Arab countries at peace with Israel. That was a testament to the wide reach of Peres, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was his country’s strongest advocate for ending the conflict in the Middle East.

Peres’ casket lay in state in the plaza outside the Knesset, or parliament, as soldiers in uniform, teenagers from youth movements and Israelis from all walks of life lined up on a warm September day to pay their respects. They were joined by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the first foreign dignitary to arrive.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin laid wreaths beside the casket early Thursday. Clinton, escorted by Rivlin and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, stopped by later, staring solemnly at the casket without commenting.