Peres’s 2-state support must be upheld, Jordan king says in condolence letter
Abdullah joins other Arab leaders in remembering former president, sends deputy PM to funeral in Jerusalem
Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
King Abdullah II of Jordan on Thursday sent a condolence letter to President Reuven Rivlin consoling Israel on the death of former president Shimon Peres and calling for the deceased statesman’s vision of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be “upheld and built upon.”
Peres, 93, died early Wednesday, two weeks after suffering a serious stroke.
“I would like to express my condolences over the passing of former President Shimon Peres,” Abdullah wrote in the missive.
“Mr Peres’s efforts in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and his support for the two-state solution must be upheld and built upon by leaders in Israel and all stakeholders in this conflict,” he wrote. “Today, his contributions towards achieving peace and security in the region are more relevant than ever before, as the situation becomes more complex and the security of this entire region comes under threat.”
“It is vital that the voices of reason prevail and the advocates of peace continue to lead the way.”
A senior Israeli official confirmed Thursday that Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Jawad Anani will join some 60 other world leaders, ministers, and dignitaries for Peres’s funeral in Jerusalem.
Other Arab dignitaries have also sent condolences and will also attend the funeral, a sign of the fruit of Peres’s efforts to foster ties with Palestinians and the wider Arab world.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will attend the funeral in Jerusalem Friday morning, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.
A Palestinian official said Abbas wanted to “send a strong message to Israeli society that the Palestinians are for peace, and appreciate the efforts of peaceful men like Shimon Peres.”
Abbas will be joined by a delegation comprising senior negotiator Saeb Erekat, Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh, security chief Majid Faraj and Muhammad Al-Madani, who heads up relations with Israelis. Former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qurei may also attend.
The PA’s official news agency Wafa reported Wednesday afternoon that Abbas had sent a condolence letter to Peres’s family, following the death of the former president at the age of 93.
Abbas expressed his “sadness and sorrow,” and wrote that “Peres was a partner in making the brave peace with the martyr Yasser Arafat and prime minister (Yitzhak) Rabin.” He added that Peres “made unremitting efforts to reach a lasting peace from the Oslo agreement until the final moments of his life.”
The foreign minister of Bahrain also issued a tribute to Peres early Thursday.
Khalid al-Khalifa tweeted, “Rest in peace President Shimon Peres, a man of war and a man of the still elusive peace in the Middle East.”
Rest in Peace President Shimon Peres , a Man of War and a Man of the still elusive Peace in the Middle East
— خالد بن أحمد (@khalidalkhalifa) September 29, 2016
The Elders, a human rights group comprised of former global leaders and headed by former UN chief Kofi Annan, published a statement expressing condolences over the death of Peres.
Peres, the group wrote, “combined steadfast patriotism with a long-lasting belief in a two-state solution as the only way of bringing peace, justice and security to Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
Annan praised Peres for his indefatigable efforts towards peace.
“Shimon Peres was a truly remarkable man who was known not just for his sharp intellect and visionary politics but also for his warmth and sense of humor,” he wrote. “His story is inseparable from the history of the state of Israel itself. Never afraid to stand up for his ideals, he laboured tirelessly for peace over violence and dialogue over confrontation. Israel has lost a founding father, the world a great statesman and I have lost a friend.”
Former US president Jimmy Carter, another member of the group, said Peres “showed great courage in his work on the Oslo Accords, which had the potential to transform the region. He was a gracious host during my visits to Israel while he was in office.”
Peres, at the time foreign minister of Israel, won the Noble Peace Prize for the 1993 Oslo Accords, which created the Palestinian interim self-government under the Palestinian Authority. Former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat also won the prize for the accords which were signed on the White House lawn under the auspices of the-then US president Bill Clinton.
Clinton will attend the funeral Friday.
The Times of Israel Community.