Shimon
Peres, Israel's ninth President, has been an Israeli politician
for more than 65 years, including serving as Israel's Prime Minister
three times. During Israel's War of Independence in 1948, Shimon
Peres was chosen to head the newly formed nation's navy and was
named the Director-General of Defense in 1953. In all he served
on 12 Israeli political cabinets in various positions, including
Israeli Foreign Minister. For his role as Foreign Minister in
peace talks between Israel and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat,
Shimon Peres shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize. Shimon Peres today
is seen as a strong supporter of working for peace through economic
cooperation between nations in the Middle East.
