Shimon Peres funeral: ‘Israel grieves for him’

By James Masters, Oren Liebermann, Richard Allen Greene and Tal Amir, CNN
Updated 12:27 PM EDT, Fri September 30, 2016
(CNN) —  

The body of former Israeli Prime Minister and President Shimon Peres was laid to rest Friday in a funeral attended by world leaders flanked by heavy security.

Early Friday morning, Peres’ casket was loaded onto a hearse for the drive from the Knesset – the Israeli parliament of which he was a member for more than 45 years – to the national cemetery at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl where he was buried.

The key moments

  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
  • Obama says presence of Abbas “is a gesture and a reminder of the unfinished business of peace.”
  • US President Bill Clinton says Peres “started off life as Israel’s brightest student, became its best teacher, and ended up its biggest dreamer.”
  • Netanyahu on Peres: “Israel grieves for him, the world grieves for him, but we find hope in his legacy, as does the world.”

Former US president Clinton gave a moving eulogy at the ceremony on Mount Herzl.
Former US president Clinton gave a moving eulogy at the ceremony on Mount Herzl.
PHOTO: ABIR SULTAN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

World leaders

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will attend the funeral of former Israeli President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres on Friday, Abbas’ office said.

President Obama took time to greet guests before the ceremony.
President Obama took time to greet guests before the ceremony.
PHOTO: THOMAS COEX/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

A video tweeted by a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed him shaking hands with President Abbas.

The moment appears to have taken place before the two leaders entered the funeral.

Abbas took his seat in the large white tent on Mount Herzl, while Obama sat next to Chemi Peres, one of Shimon Peres’ sons.

Members of the Knesset guard carry the coffin of former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres.
Members of the Knesset guard carry the coffin of former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres.
PHOTO: GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

An estimated 25,000 people have already paid respects to Peres, Knesset spokesman Yotam Yakir said about eight hours after the public visitations began.

Israel Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told CNN Thursday that there was “no concrete intelligence whatsoever” about any potential attacks.

Guards carry the coffin of former Israeli President Shimon Peres to Mount Herzl, Israel
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Guards carry the coffin of former Israeli President Shimon Peres to Mount Herzl, Israel's national cemetery, on Friday, September 30. Peres, who shared a Nobel Prize for forging a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, died Wednesday at the age of 93.
PHOTO: Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images
Family members walk behind Peres
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Family members walk behind Peres' coffin at the start of his funeral procession on September 30.
PHOTO: GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP/Getty Images
The flag-draped coffin arrives at Mount Herzl, where several eulogies were given by politicians and family.
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
The flag-draped coffin arrives at Mount Herzl, where several eulogies were given by politicians and family.
PHOTO: Ariel Schalit/AP
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at Peres
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at Peres' funeral. He said that Peres had "lived a life of purpose. ... He was a great man of Israel, he was a great man of the world."
PHOTO: Ariel Schalit/AP
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin touches Peres
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin touches Peres' coffin. In his tribute, Rivlin said that Peres was "the man of whom we thought time could never stop."
PHOTO: Ariel Schalit/AP
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton spoke of his great friendship with Peres: "He started off life as Israel
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton spoke of his great friendship with Peres: "He started off life as Israel's brightest student, became its best teacher, and ended up its biggest dreamer."
PHOTO: Ariel Schalit/AP
Clinton touches Peres
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Clinton touches Peres' coffin. Clinton spoke fondly of Peres, adding in his eulogy: "He knew exactly what he was doing in being overly optimistic. ... He never gave up on anybody, I mean anybody."
PHOTO: ABIR SULTAN/AFP/Getty Images
US President Barack Obama stands alongside Netanyahu as both men pay their respects.
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
US President Barack Obama stands alongside Netanyahu as both men pay their respects.
PHOTO: ABIR SULTAN/AFP/Getty Images
Obama also gave a eulogy. He commented on Peres
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Obama also gave a eulogy. He commented on Peres' desire for peace. "Out of the hardships of the diaspora, he found room in his heart for others who suffered," Obama said.
PHOTO: Ariel Schalit/AP
Obama touches Peres
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Obama touches Peres' coffin after speaking at the funeral.
PHOTO: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
Israeli soldiers hold wreaths before making their way to the graveside.
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Israeli soldiers hold wreaths before making their way to the graveside.
PHOTO: ABIR SULTAN/AFP/Getty Images
Prince Charles represents the British monarchy at the ceremony.
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Prince Charles represents the British monarchy at the ceremony.
PHOTO: Abir Sultan/Pool/Getty Images
British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson attends the funeral. Former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron were also in attendance.
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson attends the funeral. Former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron were also in attendance.
PHOTO: THOMAS COEX/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Jerusalem to offer his respects.
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Jerusalem to offer his respects.
PHOTO: THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images
The funeral included world leaders and dignitaries from 70 countries.
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
The funeral included world leaders and dignitaries from 70 countries.
PHOTO: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO/Getty Images
Members of the Knesset Guard salute around the grave.
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Members of the Knesset Guard salute around the grave.
PHOTO: MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images
Mourners gather beside the grave.
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
Mourners gather beside the grave.
PHOTO: RONEN ZVULUN/AFP/Getty Images
A portrait of Peres is displayed at the Knesset plaza in Jerusalem, where his body laid in state on Thursday, September 29.
Photos: Shimon Peres' funeral
A portrait of Peres is displayed at the Knesset plaza in Jerusalem, where his body laid in state on Thursday, September 29.
PHOTO: TASS/Getty Images

Israeli police confirmed in a statement Friday that a right-wing activist was detained for questioning on suspicion of planning to “carry out an action during the funeral of Shimon Peres.”

Police did not identify the suspect, say where the detention took place or what they suspected was planned.

Amanpour: Will peace be buried with Peres?

Obama tribute

In the final eulogy of the service, Obama made reference to the presence of President Abbas, stating it was a “gesture and a reminder of the unfinished business of peace.”

He also said that Peres recognized the need for a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Obama signed off his speech in Hebrew saying: Todah rabah, chaver yakar -- "thank you, dear friend."
Obama signed off his speech in Hebrew saying: Todah rabah, chaver yakar -- "thank you, dear friend."

“Out of the hardships of the diaspora, he found room in his heart for others who suffered,” Obama said

“Even in the face of terror attacks, even after repeated failures in negotiations, he recognized Palestinian self-determination.

“He believed the Zionist idea would be best protected when Palestinians too had a state of their own.”

Read: Obama mourns Peres, and a bygone Israel

Obama lamented that Peres “never saw his dream of peace fulfilled.”

President Obama sat next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the ceremony.
President Obama sat next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the ceremony.
PHOTO: Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

He recalled his time spent with Peres fondly, a man who was continually enthusiastic about his grandchildren, his love of technology and “a love of words and books and history.”

“Shimon showed us that justice and hope are at the heart of the Zionist idea,” Obama said.

“A free life in a homeland regained. A secure life in a nation that can defend itself, by itself. A full life in friendship with nations that can be counted on as allies, always.

“This was Shimon Peres’s life. This is the State of Israel. This is the story of the Jewish people during the last century.”

“Great man of Israel”

In his eulogy, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Peres had “lived a life of purpose… he was a great man of Israel, he was a great man of the world.”

He added: “Israel grieves for him, the world grieves for him, but we find hope in his legacy, as does the world.”

Former US president Clinton made an impassioned speech, claiming that Peres’ “critics described him as a naive, over-optimistic dreamer. They were only wrong about the naive part.

Former Israel Prime Minister and Nobel laureate Shimon Peres
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Former Israel Prime Minister and Nobel laureate Shimon Peres' career in politics spanned several generations. He's seen here during a meeting with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout on May 5, 2010.
PHOTO: Bernat Armangue/AP
Shimon Peres was born on August 2, 1923 in Wisniew, Poland, where he lived before his family migrated to British-mandate Palestine in 1932. He is pictured here, center, with his mother, Sarah, and younger brother Gershon.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres was born on August 2, 1923 in Wisniew, Poland, where he lived before his family migrated to British-mandate Palestine in 1932. He is pictured here, center, with his mother, Sarah, and younger brother Gershon.
PHOTO: Facebook
Peres is seen here with his wife Sonia Peres and daughter, Ziviah, in 1946. The couple also had two other children, sons Chemi Peres and Yoni Peres.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Peres is seen here with his wife Sonia Peres and daughter, Ziviah, in 1946. The couple also had two other children, sons Chemi Peres and Yoni Peres.
PHOTO: Facebook
Peres is seen here at left with Moshe Dayan, center, an Israeli military leader and politician, at the Taj Mahal in India, circa 1950. Peres entered politics in 1959 as a member of the left-wing Mapai party, a precursor to the modern Labor party. His political career lasted more than half a century, and he held virtually every position in Israel
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Peres is seen here at left with Moshe Dayan, center, an Israeli military leader and politician, at the Taj Mahal in India, circa 1950. Peres entered politics in 1959 as a member of the left-wing Mapai party, a precursor to the modern Labor party. His political career lasted more than half a century, and he held virtually every position in Israel's Cabinet.
PHOTO: Facebook
Peres retired from public office in 2014 after a seven-year term as President. By then, he had been in Israeli politics for more than half a century, holding virtually every position in the Cabinet and emerging as a staunch advocate for peace in the Middle East. Here, Peres sits in his office in Tel Aviv, Israel, in November 1969.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Peres retired from public office in 2014 after a seven-year term as President. By then, he had been in Israeli politics for more than half a century, holding virtually every position in the Cabinet and emerging as a staunch advocate for peace in the Middle East. Here, Peres sits in his office in Tel Aviv, Israel, in November 1969.
PHOTO: Fondation Gilles Caron/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Peres, left, with then-Israel Defense Minister Ariel Sharon on January 2, 1974 in Ras Sudar in Egypt
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Peres, left, with then-Israel Defense Minister Ariel Sharon on January 2, 1974 in Ras Sudar in Egypt's Sinai Desert. The two were visiting one of the sites of the 1973 Yom Kippur War between Israel and a coalition of Arab states.
PHOTO: Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images
Peres, then Israel
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Peres, then Israel's Minister of Defense, pointing over Israel's northern border towards Lebanon during a tour of Lebanese border defenses on January 22, 1976.
PHOTO: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Defense Minister and acting Prime Minister Shimon Peres speaks with Israeli Arabs before Israelis go to the polls in Umm al-Fahm, Israel, on May 17, 1977 in the country
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Defense Minister and acting Prime Minister Shimon Peres speaks with Israeli Arabs before Israelis go to the polls in Umm al-Fahm, Israel, on May 17, 1977 in the country's national elections.
PHOTO: Bettmann Archive
Shimon Peres speaking in the Druze village of Daliyat al-Karmel in Israel on May 10, 1977.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres speaking in the Druze village of Daliyat al-Karmel in Israel on May 10, 1977.
PHOTO: Francois LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Israeli Labor Party leader Shimon Peres in Paris in 1981. He chaired the left-leaning party until 1992.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli Labor Party leader Shimon Peres in Paris in 1981. He chaired the left-leaning party until 1992.
PHOTO: GEORGES GOBET/AFP/Getty Images
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, right, consults with Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin on November 26, 1986, during a vote in the Israeli parliament, Knesset, about shipments of arms to Iran.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, right, consults with Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin on November 26, 1986, during a vote in the Israeli parliament, Knesset, about shipments of arms to Iran.
PHOTO: SVEN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images
Right-wing Israeli Premier Yitzhak Shamir, center, walks past Labor party leaders Yitzhak Rabin, left, and Shimon Peres during a special Knesset summer session meeting on May 7, 1990, in Jerusalem.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Right-wing Israeli Premier Yitzhak Shamir, center, walks past Labor party leaders Yitzhak Rabin, left, and Shimon Peres during a special Knesset summer session meeting on May 7, 1990, in Jerusalem.
PHOTO: MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, with an unidentified aide, signs a peace agreement on September 13, 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Oslo, Norway. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, President Bill Clinton and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat look on from behind.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, with an unidentified aide, signs a peace agreement on September 13, 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Oslo, Norway. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, President Bill Clinton and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat look on from behind.
PHOTO: Ron Edmonds/AP
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, left, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Israeli Premier Yitzhak Rabin display their Nobel Peace Prizes on December 10, 1994 in Oslo, Norway.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, left, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Israeli Premier Yitzhak Rabin display their Nobel Peace Prizes on December 10, 1994 in Oslo, Norway.
PHOTO: Getty Images/Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, President Bill Clinton, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and PLO Leader Yasser Arafat, from left, pose at their one-day Summit of Peacemakers in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on March 13, 1996.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, President Bill Clinton, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and PLO Leader Yasser Arafat, from left, pose at their one-day Summit of Peacemakers in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on March 13, 1996.
PHOTO: Joe Marquette/AP
Former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres makes a passionate plea for the Labor party to join a national unity government with the Likud party during a meeting of the party
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres makes a passionate plea for the Labor party to join a national unity government with the Likud party during a meeting of the party's central committee in Tel Aviv February 26, 2001. Peres' leadership spans decades, and generations. He retired from public office in 2014 after the end of his seven-year term as President.
PHOTO: MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images
Israeli Vice-Premier Shimon Peres, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon attend the 32nd annual memorial ceremony for the late Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in the southern Israeli kibbutz of Sde Boker on December 7, 2005.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli Vice-Premier Shimon Peres, left, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon attend the 32nd annual memorial ceremony for the late Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in the southern Israeli kibbutz of Sde Boker on December 7, 2005.
PHOTO: Oded Balilty/AP
Israel
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israel's Vice Premier and presidential candidate Shimon Peres casts his ballot during voting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on June 13, 2007, in Jerusalem. Peres' two rivals withdrew from the race after Peres won the first round of voting, clearing the way for him to become Israeli's ninth president.
PHOTO: Handout/Getty Images
Israeli President Shimon Peres, center, joins hands with Jordan
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli President Shimon Peres, center, joins hands with Jordan's Foreign Minister Abdul-Ilah Khatib, left, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit during their meeting in Jerusalem on July 25, 2007.The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan made a historic visit to Israel to formally present an Arab peace plan, saying they were extending "a hand of peace."
PHOTO: Kevin Frayer/AP
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, left, congratulates President Shimon Peres of Israel after Peres addressed Turkey
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, left, congratulates President Shimon Peres of Israel after Peres addressed Turkey's Parliament in Ankara on November 13, 2007, becoming the first Israeli President to speak to a Muslim country's legislature.
PHOTO: Burhan Ozbilici/AP
Israeli President Shimon Peres welcomes US President George W. Bush upon his arrival at Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 9, 2008.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli President Shimon Peres welcomes US President George W. Bush upon his arrival at Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 9, 2008.
PHOTO: Kevin Frayer/AP
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reaches to shake hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres prior to their meeting in Jerusalem on July 22, 2008. Abbas had threatened to withdraw his forces from West Bank cities unless Israel
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reaches to shake hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres prior to their meeting in Jerusalem on July 22, 2008. Abbas had threatened to withdraw his forces from West Bank cities unless Israel's military halted its raids into the areas.
PHOTO: Tara Todras-Whitehill/AP
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, then a US Senator from Illinois, walks with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on July 23, 2008.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, then a US Senator from Illinois, walks with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on July 23, 2008.
PHOTO: Jae C. Hong/AP
Israeli President Shimon Peres stands inside a shelter as a rocket warning siren blares in the southern Israel city of Ashkelon on December 31, 2008. Israel at the time had rejected mounting international pressure to suspend its devastating air offensive against Palestinian militants.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli President Shimon Peres stands inside a shelter as a rocket warning siren blares in the southern Israel city of Ashkelon on December 31, 2008. Israel at the time had rejected mounting international pressure to suspend its devastating air offensive against Palestinian militants.
PHOTO: SEBASTIAN SCHEINER/AP
Israeli President Shimon Peres beside the empty seat of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after Erdogan stormed out of a debate with Peres about the three-week Gaza War at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 29, 2009.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli President Shimon Peres beside the empty seat of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after Erdogan stormed out of a debate with Peres about the three-week Gaza War at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 29, 2009.
PHOTO: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
Israeli President Shimon Peres shakes hands with Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu during their press conference in Jerusalem on February 20, 2009. Peres gave the hawkish Netanyahu, who became Prime Minister the following month, formal permission to put together the country
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli President Shimon Peres shakes hands with Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu during their press conference in Jerusalem on February 20, 2009. Peres gave the hawkish Netanyahu, who became Prime Minister the following month, formal permission to put together the country's next government.
PHOTO: DAN BALILTY/AP
Israeli President Shimon Peres delivers a speech during a rally on October 30, 2010, to mark the 15th anniversary of the assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at the Tel Aviv plaza where he was shot.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli President Shimon Peres delivers a speech during a rally on October 30, 2010, to mark the 15th anniversary of the assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at the Tel Aviv plaza where he was shot.
PHOTO: JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images
President Barack Obama awards Israeli President Shimon Peres the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
President Barack Obama awards Israeli President Shimon Peres the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, at the White House on June 13, 2012.
PHOTO: Susan Walsh/AP
NBA star Amare Stoudemire stands with Israeli President Shimon Peres during their meeting at the president
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
NBA star Amare Stoudemire stands with Israeli President Shimon Peres during their meeting at the president's residence in Jerusalem on July 18, 2013. Peres invited Stoudemire to play for Israel's national basketball team because of his ties to Judaism.
PHOTO: Sebastian Scheiner/AP
Israeli President Shimon Peres kicks the ball to FC Barcelona
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli President Shimon Peres kicks the ball to FC Barcelona's striker Lionel Messi during a soccer clinic in Broomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on August 4, 2013.
PHOTO: Ariel Schalit/AP
Israeli President Shimon Peres with Chinese children during a welcome ceremony held by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 8, 2014.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli President Shimon Peres with Chinese children during a welcome ceremony held by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 8, 2014.
PHOTO: Alexander F. Yuan/AP
Pope Francis looks on as Israeli President Shimon Peres, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greet each other during an evening of peace prayers at the Vatican on June 8, 2014.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Pope Francis looks on as Israeli President Shimon Peres, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greet each other during an evening of peace prayers at the Vatican on June 8, 2014.
PHOTO: Gregorio Borgia/AP
Israeli President Shimon Peres speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at his residence in Jerusalem on July 15, 2014.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli President Shimon Peres speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at his residence in Jerusalem on July 15, 2014.
PHOTO: Dan Balilty/AP
Newly sworn-in Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, left, and Parliament Speaker Yuli Edelstein applaud outgoing President Shimon Peres during a ceremony at the Knesset, Israel
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Newly sworn-in Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, left, and Parliament Speaker Yuli Edelstein applaud outgoing President Shimon Peres during a ceremony at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem on July 24, 2014. Rivlin succeeded Peres, who had promoted peace throughout his long career but whose term ended as Israel was fighting Hamas in Gaza.
PHOTO: Ronen Zvulun/AP
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, left, former Israeli President Shimon Peres, center, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wear virtual-reality goggles during a presentation at the Peres Center for Peace in Jaffa on July 21, 2016.
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, left, former Israeli President Shimon Peres, center, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wear virtual-reality goggles during a presentation at the Peres Center for Peace in Jaffa on July 21, 2016.
PHOTO: Dan Balilty/Pool/AP
Former President of Israel Shimon Peres attends the Ambrosetti International Forum on September 2, 2016, in Cernobbio, Italy. "There
Photos: Peace warrior: The life of Israel's Shimon Peres
Former President of Israel Shimon Peres attends the Ambrosetti International Forum on September 2, 2016, in Cernobbio, Italy. "There's no corner of this country that he hasn't touched," Zionist Union Chairman Isaac Herzog said of the elderly statesman. "The greatness of Shimon Peres is that he is beyond age. Everywhere he goes around the world, people listen to him."
PHOTO: Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images

“He knew exactly what he was doing in being overly optimistic… he never gave up on anybody, I mean anybody.

“He started off life as Israel’s brightest student, became its best teacher, and ended up its biggest dreamer.”

Clinton added that in Peres’ honor, “we remember Shimon Peres’ luminous smile, and imagine.”

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who gave the first eulogy, said that Peres was “the man of whom we thought time could never stop.”

“Your stubborn faith in mankind and the good of people – in the victory of progress over ignorance, in the victory of hope over fear – was your eternal fountain of youth, thanks to which you were the eternal fountain of youth for all of us.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahiu paid tribute to Peres who he called "a great man of Israel."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahiu paid tribute to Peres who he called "a great man of Israel."

Israeli writer Amos Oz, a friend of Peres and one of the country’s most outspoken political doves, used his eulogy to criticize the current Israeli and Palestinian leaders and insist the two sides must continue working for peace.

“Peace is not only possible, it is necessary, because we are not going anywhere. We have nowhere to go. The Palestinians also are not going anywhere. They have nowhere to go… where are the brave leaders who will stand up and realize this?” Oz said.

Family

Tsvia Walden paid tribute to her father as all three siblings gave eulogies.
Tsvia Walden paid tribute to her father as all three siblings gave eulogies.
PHOTO: THOMAS COEX/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Each of Peres’ three children spoke at the ceremony.

Tsvia Walden, Peres’ daughter, said her father “had a long and good life.”

“I will remember him during this past year at Friday night dinners at our home, when he was the first to rise for Kiddush, holding the booklet with the Shabbat songs printed in tiny letters, trying to make out the words of the songs through his thick lenses, never skipping a word, singing at the top of his lungs.”

Israeli soldiers held wreaths during the funeral service.
Israeli soldiers held wreaths during the funeral service.
PHOTO: Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

Yoni Peres, one of his sons, said his father was “sensitive and caring towards all people.”

“He wasn’t ruled by his ego, he treated everyone as an equal and was always attentive, interested and supportive,” he said.

“He loved his family dearly, and with all the new members that joined us.”

His other son Chemi spoke of his father as a man who never spared any of his energy.

“You made the most of every moment in your life, up to very the end,” he said.

“We will remember you as one whose greatness stemmed from a deep passion to serve a great cause, and not out of a desire for power.”

Israelis pay respects

Peres’ body was lying in state Thursday at the Knesset ahead of Friday’s funeral ceremony.

Israeli officials are expecting two to three times more mourners Thursday than in 2014, when former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon lay in state after his death, Yakir said.

Israelis wait to pass by the coffin of former Israeli President Shimon Peres, September 29, 2016.
Israelis wait to pass by the coffin of former Israeli President Shimon Peres, September 29, 2016.
PHOTO: Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

An estimated 25,000 people passed in the first eight hours of public visitations, Knesset spokesman Yotam Yakir said.

Some expressed admiration and respect for the man, even though they disagreed with him politically.

“My heart wanted to come and take part in this day. We say goodbye to an icon that represents Israel in the world and I wanted to thank him,” said a 25-year-old Jerusalemite who identified himself as Jonathan D.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was at the ceremony.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was at the ceremony.
PHOTO: Pool/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

But, he added, “I was against a lot of things and ideas he supported related to the Palestinians and the peace process. Oslo was not a benefit for Israel. But I am sure that Mr. Peres did those things because he thought it was the best thing for Israel.”

Reut Ran supported Peres on the peace process, but fears it has no future without him.

“Not with the political climate here today becoming more right-wing and more violent,” said Ran, who was born in Israel, spent 30 years in the US and moved back to Israel six years ago.

Israelis on alert for terror attack at Peres funeral

Presidents, royals also attend

French President Francois Hollande and Britain
French President Francois Hollande and Britain's Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, were both in attendance.
PHOTO: THOMAS COEX/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Prince Charles and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson are also listed, along with former UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Also expected are the presidents of France, Germany, Ukraine, the Ivory Coast, Togo, Mexico, Lithuania, Serbia and Romania and NATO’s secretary general and the grand duke of Luxembourg, among others.

Read: Can Peres’ vision survive his death?

Arab leaders are notably absent from the list, although the King of Morocco is sending a representative.

Jordan’s Jawad Anani, deputy prime minister for economic affairs and minister for investment affairs, was also in attendance.

CNN’s Oren Liebermann and Amir Tal reported from Jerusalem. CNN’s Hamdi Alkhshali and Abeer Salman contributed to this report.