Monday 13th January, 2014

Eulogy by President Peres for Former Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon
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Arik, Friend, leader, commander,

We are saying goodbye to you today, Arik, you were the shoulder on whom
Israel's security rested. The story of your life is bound to the story of
this country. And your life was dedicated to the life of this country. Your
footprints are imprinted on every hill and in every valley. You cultivated
the land with your scythe and defended it with your sword. Your fingerprints
are on every diplomatic situation and every military outpost. You took and
implemented the difficult decisions.

I remember during the early 1950s, the Commander of the Jerusalem Brigade
asked to introduce David Ben Gurion to a young officer. He was a history
student and that he had original ideas for dealing with the Fedayeen
infiltrations into Jerusalem. The description of this young officer sounded
to me more like a song than a biography. I was told he was smart and brave,
unorthodox and daring. An officer who was both a leader and a decision
maker. A soldier who never retreats from the enemy and a leader who doesn't
fear vision. This young officer, Arik Sharon was his name, was born for
greatness.

We met with Arik and a friendship was instantly formed. I felt that before
me stood an extraordinary young man with both the desire and rare quality to
serve his people until the end. Ben Gurion loved him from first sight. His
words conquered hearts. His soldiers followed him with total faith. If one
of them was injured he wouldn't leave them until they recovered. To bereaved
families he was a brother and a comforter. He knew how to tell the stories
of their fallen loved ones with unforgettable emotion.

The nation loved him and he loved Israel, both its people and its land.

Honored guests,

Arik was a man of the land. He loved the smell; he cultivated the hills, he
sowed and he reaped. He defended this land like a lion and he taught its
children to swing a scythe. He was a military legend in his lifetime and
then turned his gaze to the day Israel would dwell in safety. When our
children would return to our borders and peace would grace the Promised
Land.

There were parts of his personality which were not written in his military
biography. His emotional intelligence which shone through whenever he
described a flower or a tree, a butterfly or a bird. And of course when he
spoke of his friends. The greatness of Arik and Lilly's love was known to
everyone. His children were dear to him and he to them. Omri and Gilad stood
by him day and night with a sense of mission and an unending love, until his
final breath.

We are accompanying to his final resting place today, a soldier, an
exceptional soldier, a commander who knew how to win. A leader who breathed
a dream, a man who charmed us all even during the most difficult hours.

Arik, You were unique. You turned the seemingly impossible into endless
opportunity. You fought off dangers and never delayed decisions. You decided
and you were victorious. May you rest in peace, a great leader. You never
rested when in service of your people, when defending your land and when
making it flourish. The land from which you came will embrace you in the
warm arms of the history of our nation to which you added an unforgettable
chapter.

In the words of the poet - "As the nation arises, Torn at heart but still
breathing, To receive its miracle, the only miracle." May your memory be
blessed, Arik.

For additional information:
Ayelet Frish – Spokesperson and Media Adviser to the President of Israel–
0506205111
Yair Zivan – International Media Coordinator, Office of the President of
Israel - 0523450061