Shimon Peres
Born in Wolozyn, Poland, in 1923, Shimon Peres immigrated
with his family to Palestine in 1934. He became an activist
while living on a kibbutz as a youth. His long career in
public service began at age twenty-four, when Israel's first
prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, appointed him head of
the new state's navy. Peres went on to serve as a member
of the Knesset, minister of defense, finance minister, and
prime minister. As Israel's foreign minister, Peres shared
the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
and Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman Yasir Arafat
for their negotiations toward a peace accord. In June of 2007,
Peres was elected President of the state of Israel for a 7-year
term.
Resources for Teachers
and Students
Reflections on Working
Towards Peace