The state ceremony commemorating eight years of the passing of Shimon Peres was held yesterday at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl, the memorial complex and cemetery where Israeli statesmen and fallen soldiers are buried.

IPESE delegation participated, along with the dignitaries from around the world gathered. Israeli President Isaac Herzog attended the commemoration.

In his speech, President Herzog indirectly referred to the ongoing national and security challenges facing the country, underlining the importance of unity and decisive leadership through the uncertainty of the times in which we live.

He quoted the Psalms and pointed out that Israel has to ‘’to act more vigorously, immediately, with critical urgency to save our brothers and sisters trapped in the ‘Valley of the Shadow of Death.’’

With the approval of Peres’ family, Liat Atzili, one of the freed hostages kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 terror attack, also addressed the crowd.

Atzili, who lost family members in the attack, gave an emotional speech in which she specifically referred to the contrast between the legacy of peace that Peres left behind and the reality that the Jewish people live today:

”I can’t imagine what you would say, if you had been here with us on the morning of October 7, when terrorists occupied dozens of villages and kibbutzim you knew so well… They murdered, raped, looted, burned, and carried out a pogrom — here in the State of Israel, the state that was established to be a safe haven for the Jewish people.”

Shimon Peres legacy is one of peace and progress, and today it is perhaps more important than ever that it is not forgotten. Peres has worked tirelessly to encourage dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, convinced peace can be built on a foundation of negotiation and cooperation. Peace and cooperation remained the cornerstone of his political philosophy, influencing generations of leaders to seek peaceful solutions to conflicts.

Chemi Peres, son of the ninth President of Israel and the Peres Center for Innovation and Peace, director, (an institute that preserves the memory and work of Shimon Peres to continue along his path), specifically referred to the need for leaders who are determined to build peace where it is hard to achieve:

“Eight years have passed since we said goodbye to my father. Today, we feel his absence all over our country, and beyond. Many are wondering what you would say about the current situation. More importantly – what would you do? These are questions to which, unfortunately, we do not have an answer. I don’t remember a day in my life when your views of the world and your way of thinking were more important to us than today.”

“Shimon Peres’ legacy is a testament to his belief in the power of diplomacy, creativity and perseverance in building a better, more peaceful world. Today we are here to pay tribute to the great statesman and the legacy he left behind, which obliges us to work together even harder to ensure peace and stability in conflict-ridden regions,” said Dušan Žarković, IPESE executive director.

He added that he is proud of the fruitful cooperation between the Institute for Politics and Economy of Southeast Europe and the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation from Tel Aviv.

“It is important that our nations, on the basis of their historical friendship, continue to promote the values ​​of building peace and progress, drawing inspiration from the vision that Shimon Peres left behind,” said Žarković.