Former president Shimon Peres, 92, is not dead, his office said on Monday, as rumors of his demise spread on social media.
“Shimon Peres would like to clarify that he is alive and well,” a statement from his spokesman said. “The only thing preoccupying him at this moment is his dinner.”
Earlier, the rumors of Peres’s death were distributed in various WhatsApp groups, which frequently report false news.
The Maariv daily posited a theory as to how the rumors got started: Earlier Monday, a bomb went off in Rishon Lezion in what appeared to be an attempted mob hit, critically injuring one person. The blast took place on Shimon Peres Street in the city, which may have led to the misinformation.
Peres, now retired, had a 55-year political career, most recently as Israel’s president from 2007 to 2014.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
We can't do this work alone.
The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident – ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded – I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.
There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
As a Times of Israel reporter, I’m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit’s. But my colleagues and I can't do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.
— Stav Levaton, military reporter
Yes, I'll join
Yes, I'll join
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
