Shimon Peres

Shimon Peres at Cornell University

Peresto Visit University, Lecture on Mideast Peace
The Cornell Daily Sun
March 25, 1997
By Missy Globerman

PeresCancels Engagement, Focuses on Political Unrest
The Cornell Daily Sun
April 22, 1997
By Kevin Yamamura

   Former Israeli Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prizewinner Shimon Peres will give a public presentation titled "Battlingfor Peace" on Wednesday, April 30, at 8 p.m. in the Newman Arena ofthe Field House.
   The Cornell University Programming Board is bringingPeres to campus as one of three speakers it hosts each semester. The boardis "really pleased to bring someone of this caliber to the campus,"said Jill Nusbaum '97, lecture chair of the CUPB.
   Nusbaum said over 300 students were surveyed to determinewhich speakers they would like to see brought to Cornell, and Peres receivedtwice as many votes as any other candidate.
   Nusbaum said Peres is not on the lecture circuit, butthat he speaks at "select locations by invitation only."

Raising Hopes
   Visiting Prof. Joshua Teitelbaum, Near Eastern Studies,Tel Aviv University, said he expects Peres will "try to raise hopesabout the peace process and attempt to offer a different vision of theMiddle East than the one currently presented by Middle Eastern governments."
   Teitelbaum added that he expects Peres to discuss hisdisagreements with current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu'sstance on the opening of a tunnel in the Old City of Jerusalem and on preparationsfor the construction of Jewish housing in controversial East Jerusalem.
   Teitelbaum said he predicts that Peres, as on "optimist,"will present a picture of a brighter future for Israel than that whichmany people perceive as realistic.
   Though he does not foresee everyone agreeing with thecontent of Peres' lecture, he noted "it is an honor for Cornell tohave a world leader come to give an interesting and provocative speech."
   Jewish Chaplain Laurence Edwards said the lecture is"a great opportunity to hear first hand from someone with a greatdeal of experience and insight into world politics."

Certain about Peace
   He added that he saw Peres speak in Israel this Pastsummer, and he said that even though Peres appeared tired, he "seemedno less certain about the importance of a peaceful resolution about conflictin the Middle East." "He will certainly speak forcefully on thissubject," Edwards added.
   Glen Rosenbluth '98, president of Hillel, said he thinksPeres' speech will be well received by the Cornell community.
   "Even though we may differ on how to go about achievingpeace, people appreciate the role Peres played in the peace process,"Rosenbluth said. "Peres stands for peace in the Middle East."
   Elana Levine '98, vice president of programming for theYoung Israel House, said she "hopes the entire Cornell community goesto hear what Peres has to say."

History
   Peres served as Price Minister of Israel from 1984to 1986, and again following Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassinationin November 1995.
   He remained prime minister until he was defeated in theelections of May 1996, and he currently leads the conservative Labor Partyand serves in the Israeli Parliament.
   In 1994, Peres shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Rabinand Yasser Arafat for their work on the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords.
   Security for the lecture will be extremely tight, Nusbaumsaid.

   Yesterday, former Israeli Prime MinisterShimon Peres canceled his upcoming Cornell speaking engagement due to mountingpolitical concerns at home.
   Peres was scheduled to speak at Cornell next Wednesday,but University officials explained that a variety of circumstances ledto his decision to cancel.As of last night, the University had receivedno indication that Peres would reschedule his lecture.
   Linda Grace-Kobas, director of the Cornell News Service,said Israel’s Labor Party, which is headed by Peres, called for a meetingnext Wednesday to discuss pressing issues, many of which center aroundcurrent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent political troubles.

Netanyahu’s Troubles
   Netanyahu’s tribulations began in January when reportscharged him with appointing an attorney general candidate in exchange forpolitical favors.Last week, Israeli police recommended indicting Netanyahufor breach of trust, but on Sunday prosecutors said they lacked enoughevidence to press charges.
   Peres demanded Netanyahu’s resignation and called fornew elections on Sunday, according to The New York Times.While Grace-Kobasdid not specify Peres’ intentions in meetings with the Labor Party, theformer prime minister has recently been vocal in his criticism of Netanyahu.
   Grace-Kobas also noted that because Passover began lastnight and will continue into early next week, Wednesday is the earliestpossible meeting date for the Labor Party.
   Regardless of the political unrest in Israel, many inthe Cornell community were upset when informed of Peres’’ cancellation.
   “I’m very disappointed to hear that,” said Alice Goh‘97, who purchased a ticket for the lecture.“As a senior, I was lookingforward to hearing a speaker who has been so preeminent in his field.”
   Gena Lavellee ‘98, who also purchased a ticket, echoedGoh’s sentiments, but viewed the situation in a different light.
   “It’s disappointing, but whenever Cornell has a politicalfigure come to speak, the University also runs the risk of having a cancellationwhen the speaker as more pertinent issues to address.”
   Hillel officials were out of town for the holiday andcould not be reached for comment last night.    Membersof the Cornell University Program Board declined to comment until aftertoday’s board meeting, but CUPB Advisor Sarah Brown said tentative plansare in place for distributing refunds.
   According to Brown, anyone who purchased tickets at theWillard Straight Hall Ticket Office can receive refunds at the same location,beginning tomorrow for credit-card transactions and Friday for cash purchases.Allticket-buyers need to present their tickets in order to receive refunds.
   CUPB members are still determining hot to refund ticketspurchased at off-campus locations, and Brown said those buyers will beinformed of their options tomorrow.
   The CUPB began planning the Peres lecture in Februaryand Brown said board members were “extremely disappointed” to learn ofthe cancellation.
   However, she was able to find one positive aspect ofthe cancellation, albeit half-heartedly.“We’re sorry to the whole community...I guess we’ll all just have to start studying for finals.”

More about Peres
Politically active from the age of 20, after a number of years in KibbutzGeva and Kibbutz Alumot, Shimon Peres was elected Secretary of the Laboryouth movement in 1943. In 1947 after having been conscripted by DavidBen-Gurion and Levi Eshkol to the Hagana Defense Forces, Shimon Peres wasassigned responsibility for manpower and arms purchases, continuing inthis post during the early part of Israel's War of Independence. A yearlater, in 1948, Shimon Peres was appointed head of Israel's navy and atthe war's end assumed the position of Director of the Defense Ministry'sprocurement delegation in the United States.

In 1953, at the age of 29, Shimon Peres was appointed by Prime MinisterDavid Ben-Gurion to the post of Director General of the Ministry of Defense,a position he held until 1959. During that period he developed the specialrelationship between Israel and France, established Israel's electronicaircraft industry and was responsible for Israel's nuclear program.

In 1959, Shimon Peres was elected to Israel's parliament, the Knesset,and has remained a member ever since. From that year, and until 1965, heserved as Deputy Minister of Defense. In 1965, together with David BenGurion, he left the Mapai Labor Party and became Secretary General of Rafi(the Israel Workers List). In 1968 he initiated bringing Rafi back to Mapaito form the Israel Labor Party.

The following year he was appointed Minister of Immigrant Absorptionand from 1970-1974 served as Minister of Transport and Communication. In1974 after a period as Minister of Information, Shimon Peres was appointedMinister of Defense, a position he held until 1977. It was during thisterm of office, in 1976, that he masterminded the rescue of Entebbe hostages.

After the elections in 1977, which placed the Labor Party in opposition,Shimon Peres was elected Chairman of the Labor Party, a post he held until1992. During that period he was elected Vice-President of the SocialistInternational.

Upon the establishment of a National Unity Government, in September1984, Shimon Peres served as Prime Minister and between 1986-1988 as Vice-Premierand Minister of Foreign Affairs. From November 1988 until the dissolutionof the National Unity Government in 1992, he served as Deputy Prime Ministerand Minister of Finance.

In July 1992, after the election of the new Labor Government, ShimonPeres was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In 1994 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in advancingpeace in the Middle East.

On November 5, 1995, following the assassination of Prime Minister YitzhakRabin, Shimon Peres was appointed as acting Prime Minister and on November22, 1995, after being approved by the Knesset, he was sworn in as PrimeMinister and Minister of Defense.

Following the elections of May 1996, Shimon Peres continues to serveas a member of the Knesset and Chairman of the Israel Labor Party.

Shimon Peres has authored ten books including "The Next Step"(1965); "David's Sling" (1970); "Entebbe Diary" (1991);"The New Middle East" (1993); and "Battling for Peace"(1995).

He is married to Sonya and has a daughter and two sons.