The tombstone of President Shimon Peres was unveiled Friday in a state service held at the Great Leaders of the Nation plot on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. Some 1,800 people attended the service, including President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ministers and MKs, Peres' family and public figures. The unveiling came at the conclusion of the traditional 30-day mourning period following the death of Israel's ninth president on Sept. 28. Speaking at the service, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Negev Nuclear Research Center, Peres' brainchild, will be renamed in his honor. "Before I even asked, the Israel Atomic Energy Commission decided to name the Nuclear Research Center in Dimona for Shimon Peres. ... He walked among us as a beacon of knowledge and curiosity, with shining eyes filled with hopes and dreams. He left us one instruction: Establish a state that would not shame our children nor disappoint our grandchildren. We will do everything, dear Shimon, to make that happen," Netanyahu said. "In the years when I was an [IDF] officer, leading my soldiers across the length and breadth of the country, I remember planning a navigation exercise near Dimona. They told me, 'You're not going near the place.' It was several decades before I was allowed into it [the nuclear research center], and as prime minister I became privy to its importance, its tremendous importance to us and to future generations. "In the weeks since we bid farewell I have been thinking about him often, recalling our profound conversations, the agreements and arguments and puns, often so hilarious, Shimon would quip. Everyone, including me, I admit, try to mimic his unique intonation from time to time. It is a sign of admiration. ... The sense of loss I express is national, but it is first and foremost personal. May Shimon's memory be blessed," the prime minister concluded. Rivlin said: "Deep sadness envelopes us today, as we mark 30 days since you passed, Shimon. In the days since you left us, many stories about your life have come to light. Your role in Israel's inception has been recounted countless times, as was your contribution to the inception of the Nuclear Research Center in Dimona, the Israel Aerospace Industry, military industries, Operation Entebbe, and the settlement enterprise, the elimination of inflation, diplomatic moved and fostering our faith in peace. "You were driven by curiosity and humanity. This spirit drove you through nearly 70 years of tireless public service. ... We will remember and abide by your will: To be the kind of Jews who are true to their heritage and who aspire to make the world a better place, to build a better future for the world and for ourselves. ... May your soul be bound in the bond of life and forever in our hearts, amen." At the Peres family's request the tombstone, a raised, rectangular black marble slab, bears a passage from the Book of Isaiah as well as a quote by Israel's first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. The biblical quote reads: "Nations shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and mankind will not again know war" (Isaiah 2:4). Ben-Gurion's quote reads, "Israel's spiritual character and inner strength will in the future be the deciding factor for our security and international standing."
Negev Nuclear Research Center to be renamed in honor of Peres
Some 1,800 people attend state service unveiling tombstone of President Shimon Peres on Mount Herzl • PM Netanyahu: Peres walked among us as a beacon of knowledge • President Rivlin: We will abide by your will, build a better future.
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