VOA常速英语:Shimon Peres’ Life of Public Service Spanned the Life of Israel(翻译)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered words of praise for Peres early Wednesday,hours after the news of his death was announced.

“Shimon dedicated his life to the sovereignty of our people.As a man of vision, his gaze was aimed to the future.As a man of security, he fortified Israel’s strength in many ways,some of which even today is still unknown.As a man of peace,he worked until his final days toward reconciling with our neighbors for a better future for our children.”

Born in present day Belarus in 1923,Peres moved with his family to the future Jewish state when he was 11 years old,when it was known as British Palestine.

He became Israel’s youngest defense minister in 1952 at the age of 29,and was credited with working to develop Israel’s defense and aerospace industries.Along with his nuclear weapons program,Peres would go on to hold nearly every major Israeli political post during his long career,including prime minister twice, the presidency, defense minister and foreign minister.

His major achievement was as foreign minister with the Oslo Accords --a deal for Palestinian self-rule for which Peres,then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.

His son Chemi Peres paid tribute to his father.

“He worked tirelessly for Israel from the very first day of the sate to the last day of his life.”

After leaving public office, Peres founded Peres Peace Center which develops joint, economic,educational and cultural projects with the Palestinians, Egypt and Jordan.