JERUSALEM — World leaders were gathering this morning in Jerusalem to bid farewell to one of Israel’s founding fathers, Shimon Peres.
An honor guard carried his coffin into the main plaza of the Mount Herzl cemetery as the military chief Rabbi read Psalm chapters.
A number of dignitaries from Israel and from around the world stood still as the coffin arrived, including US President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
It was the first meeting of Abbas and Netanyahu in more than a year, after negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians broke off in 2014.
Live broadcast showed Peres’ daughters, sons, and grandchildren shedding tears and hugging Peres’ three aides, who worked with him over the last two decades.
Peres, Israel’s ninth president and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, passed away on Wednesday after spending two weeks in induced coma following a stroke.
– Xinhua
