Shimon Peres

Shimon Peres – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the extraordinary life of Shimon Peres (1923–2016): Israeli statesman, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, prime minister and president. From early years to lasting legacy — including his most memorable quotations and lessons for today.

Introduction

Shimon Peres was one of Israel’s most iconic political figures — a man whose life spanned the founding and maturation of the State of Israel. Born in 1923 (then in Poland), he emigrated with his family to British Mandate Palestine and became deeply involved in the Zionist project from an early age. Over a political career of nearly seven decades, he served as Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, and ultimately President of Israel — in addition to being a key architect of the Oslo peace process.

His vision was shaped by the dual forces of security and peace: in his younger years he helped build Israel’s defense infrastructure, and later he devoted himself to promoting reconciliation, innovation, and bridging divides. Today, his life continues to resonate, offering both inspiration and complex lessons in leadership, idealism, and political realpolitik.

Early Life and Family

Shimon Peres was born Szymon Perski on August 2, 1923, in Wiszniew (then Poland, now Belarus).

At home, the family spoke Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian; in school, Peres learned Polish, and later English and French.

In 1932, his father immigrated to Mandatory Palestine (Tel Aviv), and in 1934 the family followed.

In 1945 he married Sonya Gelman, whom he had met in the youth village environment.

Youth and Education

Even as a youth, Peres was politically active, joining HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed, a Labor Zionist youth movement. By his early twenties, he had been elected to its national secretariat and later became its head.

During the 1940s, as the conflict over Palestine intensified, Peres joined the Haganah (Jewish paramilitary organization) and was assigned responsibility over personnel and arms procurement.

While working, he also pursued academic studies. He spent time in the U.S. studying economics, philosophy, and management: at The New School, New York University, and undertaking a short advanced course at Harvard.

In 1953, at the age of 29, he became Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Defense, making him one of the youngest to hold such a position.

Career and Achievements

Early Roles & Arms Diplomacy

From 1952 onward, Peres held roles in Israel’s defense establishment including deputy director general and then full director general of the Ministry of Defense.

He played a central role in the Suez Crisis of 1956, participating in the secret negotiations at Sèvres between Israel, Britain, and France.

Scholars often view Peres as an architect (or one of the architects) of Israel’s latent nuclear capabilities, especially with regard to the Dimona nuclear reactor project and associated covert efforts.

Parliamentary & Ministerial Career

In 1959, Peres was elected to the Israeli Knesset (parliament) under the Mapai party.

Over the decades, Peres held multiple ministerial portfolios:

• Deputy Minister of Defense (1959–1965)

• Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Transport & Communications, Information, Defense, Finance, Foreign Affairs (in different periods)

In 1965, he split from Mapai with David Ben-Gurion to found Rafi, later merging back into the Labor Party.

He was Minister of Defense during the 1976 Entebbe rescue operation, in which Israel conducted a daring raid to free hostages held in Uganda.

Prime Minister & President

Peres first became Prime Minister in a coalition “rotation” agreement in 1984 (shared with Yitzhak Shamir).

After two years, he and Shamir swapped roles per agreement; Peres became Foreign Minister during that phase.

In 1992, with Yitzhak Rabin as Prime Minister, Peres served as Foreign Minister and helped negotiate the Israel–Jordan peace treaty (signed 1994).

In November 1995, after the assassination of Rabin, Peres took over as acting Prime Minister and soon was confirmed as full Prime Minister (1995–1996).

Although he lost the 1996 election to Benjamin Netanyahu, Peres remained a central political figure. In 2005, after challenges within the Labor Party, he switched his allegiance to the new Kadima party founded by Ariel Sharon.

In 2007, he was elected President of Israel, serving from July 2007 to July 2014.

During his presidency, he emphasized Israel’s role in science, innovation, and peace-building. He also received numerous honors, including an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.

Historical Milestones & Context

Oslo Accords & Nobel Peace Prize

Peres is perhaps best known internationally for his role in the Oslo peace process. Along with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.

Economic Stabilization & Technological Vision

In 1985, facing runaway inflation, Peres championed an Economic Stabilization Plan — involving austerity measures, price and wage controls, and currency reform — that succeeded in drastically lowering inflation and stabilizing the economy.

He also foresaw the future of Israel not through resource exploitation but through human capital, science, and technology. As he often said, Israel’s greatest resource was the mind.

Presidency & Soft Power

Though the role of President in Israel is largely ceremonial, Peres used it as a platform for moral leadership, public diplomacy, and educational initiatives. He founded or boosted institutions aimed at peace, science, and youth engagement (e.g. Peres Center for Peace).

He was also one of Israel’s earliest leaders to embrace social media, and in his later years produced public-facing videos and messages promoting peace, education, and innovation.

Death

In September 2016, Peres suffered a severe stroke and was hospitalized. His medical condition deteriorated, and he died on September 28, 2016, at the age of 93.Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

Legacy and Influence

Shimon Peres’s legacy is multifaceted and sometimes controversial — but undeniably profound.

1. Bridge between security and peace
   In many respects, Peres embodied a duality: once a hawk designing Israel’s defense architecture, and later a dove championing negotiation and reconciliation. He believed that true security required stability and relationships, not only military strength.

2. Nation-building vision
   His foresight in innovation and technology helped lay the foundation for Israel’s transformation into a “Start-Up Nation.” He consistently argued that in a land without abundant natural resources, intellectual capital must be the engine of growth.

3. Peace as moral imperative
   Peres never abandoned the hope of a negotiated peace with the Palestinians, based on mutual recognition and coexistence (a two-state solution). Though progress remains elusive, his voice continues to be invoked in debates about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

4. Symbolic elder statesman
   As one of the last leaders of Israel’s founding generation, Peres came to symbolize continuity, wisdom, and aspiration. His presidency and outreach sought to project Israel’s moral and intellectual capital to the world.

5. Contested critiques
   Some critics argue that his idealism underestimated political realities, or that certain defense initiatives (especially secret ones) had serious moral ambiguities. Others lament that peace efforts stalled under his watch. These critiques, however, also speak to the difficult balance he always faced, navigating between dreams and the constraints of geopolitics.

Personality and Talents

Peres was known for his intellectual curiosity, resilience, and eloquent oratory. From early on, he immersed himself in study — reading widely, conversing across cultures, and learning by himself in fields outside politics, including science and philosophy.

He had a reputation for optimism: even in advanced age, he spoke about hope, invention, and the possibility of better futures. For him, the role of a leader was not just to manage the present but to dream the uncharted horizon.

At times, he was seen as politically ambitious and maneuvering; he was not without rivals or controversies. His relationships with other Israeli leaders (such as Rabin, Begin, Sharon, Netanyahu) were complex, at times cooperative, at times adversarial. But even his detractors often acknowledged his commitment and stamina.

Beyond politics, Peres wrote books, poems, and songs; some of his poems have been set to music. In his later years, he was active in cultural and educational initiatives, bridging gaps between younger and older generations.

Famous Quotes of Shimon Peres

Here are some of the most evocative and widely cited quotes from Shimon Peres, reflecting his worldview, values, and style:

• “The most important thing in life is to dare. The most complicated thing in life is to be afraid. The smartest thing in the world is to try to be a moral person.”

• “If a problem has no solution, it may not be a problem, but a fact — not to be solved, but to be coped with over time.”

• “Optimists and pessimists die the same way. They just live differently. I prefer to live as an optimist.”

• “In Israel, a land lacking in natural resources, we learned to appreciate our greatest national advantage: our minds. Through creativity and innovation, we transformed barren deserts into flourishing fields and pioneered new frontiers in science and technology.”

• “If you eat three times a day you’ll be fed but if you read three times a day you’ll be wise.”

• “There is no alternative to peace. There is no sense to go to war.”

• “From my earliest youth, I have known that while one is obliged to plan with care the stages of one’s journey, one is entitled to dream, and keep dreaming, of its destination.”

• “My only regret is not having dreamed more.”

These lines capture the tension he carried between pragmatism and idealism, as well as his belief in continuous growth and moral striving.

Lessons from Shimon Peres

1. Balance vision with pragmatism
   Peres teaches that idealistic goals (peace, innovation) must often be pursued within hard constraints. Leaders must hold their dreams lightly while navigating realities.

2. Invest in people, not only infrastructure
   His emphasis on knowledge, education, and human capital reminds us that durable progress stems from empowering minds, not only building structures.

3. Resilience in defeat
   Throughout his life, Peres faced electoral defeat, internal party conflicts, and criticism — yet he persisted. Many of his most meaningful contributions came after setbacks.

4. Leadership as service, not domination
   Though powerful, Peres often viewed leadership as stewardship — a responsibility to listen, reconcile, and elevate collective good.

5. Hope is strategic
   Peres believed that optimism is itself a political act. In fragile environments, sustaining hope can galvanize action, spur innovation, and keep bridges open.

6. Legacy is continuous work
   He never fully retired. Even as President and beyond, he remained active in peace-building, education, and innovation — showing that impact does not cease with formal office.

Conclusion

Shimon Peres was both a builder of Israel’s security and a relentless believer in its moral and visionary potential. He traversed the extremes of defense and diplomacy, the responsibilities of power and the humility of servitude. While his record is not without complexity or criticism, his life embodies lessons in resilience, dreaming, and the delicate art of holding polarities.

His famous quotes continue to echo: to dare, to read, to imagine, to persist. In remembering Peres, we are invited to carry forward his hope — that even in conflict-laden times, we can aspire to peace, innovation, and the better possibility of the human spirit.