Both Bill and Hillary Clinton had a special rapport with Shimon Peres
- a friendship. Here are some photos from Hillary's time as Secretary
of State.
The Clintons will be among the many dignitaries¹ attending his funeral on Friday.
¹Rachel Maddow corrected this report Wednesday night. President Clinton is attending. Hillary is not.
- JERUSALEM,
ISRAEL - JULY 16: (ISRAEL OUT) Israeli President Shimon Peres (R)
shakes hands with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before their
meeting on July 16, 2012 in Jerusalem, Israel. Clinton is in Israel to
discuss diplomacy with Iran, Syria and Egypt in addition to peace talks
regarding the Middle East. (Photo by Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)
- JERUSALEM,
ISRAEL - JULY 16: (ISRAEL OUT) Israeli President Shimon Peres (L)
kisses US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before their meeting on
July 16, 2012 in Jerusalem, Israel. Clinton is in Israel to discuss
diplomacy with Iran, Syria and Egypt in addition to peace talks
regarding the Middle East. (Photo by Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)
- U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, and Israel's President
Shimon Peres, hug after a joint statement at the President's residence
in Jerusalem, Monday, July 16, 2012. Clinton met Peres for about an hour
as part of what is perhaps her final visit to Israel as secretary of
state, bringing a message of solidarity to the Jewish state after
three-and-a-half years of only stunted progress toward a Palestinian
peace deal. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
- Israel's
President Shimon Peres (R) and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
smile at each other after their joint statements in Jerusalem July 16,
2012. Clinton and Israeli officials will discuss on Monday Egypt's
political upheaval, Iran's nuclear program and the stymied
Israeli-Palestinian peace process. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (JERUSALEM -
Tags: POLITICS)
- Israel's
President Shimon Peres, right, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton, left, meet at the President's residence in Jerusalem,
Monday, July 16, 2012. Clinton made perhaps her final visit to Israel as
secretary of state on Monday, bringing a message of solidarity to the
Jewish state after three-and-a-half years of only stunted progress
toward a Palestinian peace deal. (AP Photo/ Brendan Smialowski, Pool)
- Israel's
President Shimon Peres (L) stands with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton before their meeting in Jerusalem July 16, 2012. Clinton and
Israeli officials will discuss on Monday Egypt's political upheaval,
Iran's nuclear program and the stymied Israeli-Palestinian peace
process. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS)
- WASHINGTON,
DC - JUNE 12: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Israeli
President Shimon Peres (R) participate in a discussion at the Hay Adams
Hotel June 12, 2012 in Washington, DC. The Clinton-Peres discussion was
part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the Saban Center for Middle
East Policy of Brookings Institution. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
- U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) meets Israeli President Shimon
Peres at Blair House in Washington April 4, 2011. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
(UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS)
- US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Israeli President Shimon Peres
(R) arrive for a meeting April 4, 2011 at Blair House, the presidential
guest house, in Washington, DC. Peres will be meeting US leaders for
talks aimed at furthering regional peace efforts. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN
(Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
- US
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, is greeted by Israeli
President Shimon Peres, as she arrives at the Israeli presidential
residence in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010. Clinton is in the
region for peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders and will
try to defuse a looming crisis over Israeli settlement construction. (AP
Photo/Bernat Armangue)
- U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Israel's President Shimon
Peres leave after their joint statements at the president's residence in
Jerusalem September 15, 2010. Israeli and Palestinian leaders are
"getting down to business" and tackling the main issues of the Middle
East conflict, Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Darren
Whiteside (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS)
- U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) speaks with Israel's President
Shimon Peres (L) upon her arrival for their meeting at the president's
residence in Jerusalem September 15, 2010. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hold a second
day of talks on Wednesday to try to overcome a row over Jewish
settlement building that could sink their push for peace. REUTERS/Ronen
Zvulun (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS)
- U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) speaks with Israel's President
Shimon Peres (C) upon her arrival for their meeting at the president's
residence in Jerusalem September 15, 2010. Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hold a second
day of talks on Wednesday to try to overcome a row over Jewish
settlement building that could sink their push for peace. REUTERS/Ronen
Zvulun (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS)
- Israel's
President Shimon Peres (R) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton after their meeting in Jerusalem March 3, 2009. Clinton
pledged on Tuesday to press for Palestinian statehood, putting
Washington on a possible collision course with Israeli Prime
Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM)
- Israel's
President Shimon Peres (R) kisses U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton as he gives her flowers after their meeting in Jerusalem March
3, 2009. Clinton pledged on Tuesday to press for Palestinian statehood,
putting Washington on a possible collision course with Israeli Prime
Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM)
- JERUSALEM,
ISRAEL - MARCH 3: In this handout from the Israeli U.S. Embassy Tel
Aviv, U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Israeli
President Shimon Peres on March 3, 2009 in Jeruslaem, Israel. Hillary
Clinton is at the start of a two day visit to the region where she will
also be holding talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and
Prime Minister Designate Binyamin Netanyahu before meeting with
Palestinian Authority President Mahmood Abbas. (Photo by Matty
Stern/U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv via Getty Images)
With
the passing of Shimon Peres, Israel has lost a leader who championed
its security, prosperity, and limitless possibilities from its birth to
his last day on earth. The Middle East has lost a fervent advocate for
peace and reconciliation and for a future where all the children of
Abraham build a better tomorrow together. And Hillary and I have lost a
true and treasured friend.
I’ll never forget how happy he was 23
years ago when he signed the Oslo Accords on the White House lawn,
heralding a more hopeful era in Israeli-Palestinian relations. He was a
genius with a big heart who used his gifts to imagine a future of
reconciliation not conflict, economic and social empowerment not anger
and frustration, and a nation, a region, and a world enhanced by caring
and sharing, not torn asunder by the illusions of permanent dominance
and perfect truth. His critics called him a dreamer. That he was – a
lucid, eloquent dreamer until the very end. Thank goodness. Let those of
us who loved him and love his nation keep his dream alive.