Rice ‘deeply saddened’ by Peres’s death

US National Security Advisor Susan Rice says Peres was “vibrant, courageous, determined” — just like the State of Israel.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of former President Shimon Peres, Israel’s national treasure and one of its last remaining founders. A son of the shtetl who rose to become one of the world’s most beloved and respected statesmen, President Peres’ life was the life of the state of Israel—vibrant, courageous, determined,” she says in a statement.

“He was dreamer and a doer, working to make the desert bloom and build the state of Israel brick by brick. He was a warrior who helped secure Israel against its adversaries and a peacemaker who knew, as he liked to say, that there are no hopeless situations, only hopeless people—falling ill 23 years to the day that he joined President Clinton, Prime Minister Rabin, and Yasir Arafat for that historic handshake on the White House lawn.”

“The unbreakable alliance between the United States and Israel stands as an enduring tribute to President Peres’ years of diplomacy and eloquent advocacy on Israel’s behalf. I’m proud to have called him a cherished friend, a wise and steadying presence during difficult times,” she says.