biography
| name: |
Peres, Shimon
|
| |
originally Shimon Perski
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pronunciation:
[perez]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1923– )
|
| biography:
| Israeli statesman and prime minister (1984–6, 1995–6), born in Valozhyn, W Belarus (formerly Wolożyn, Poland). He was raised on a kibbutz, then studied at New York and Harvard universities. In 1948 he became head of naval services in the new state of Israel, and later director-general of the defence ministry (1953–9). In 1959 he was elected to the Knesset, and became minister of defence (1974–7), chairman of the Labour Party, and Leader of the Opposition (1977). He then entered into a unique power-sharing agreement with the leader of the Consolidation Party (Likud), Yitzhak Shamir, becoming prime minister from 1984 to 1986, when Shamir took over. After the inconclusive 1988 general election, Peres eventually rejoined Shamir in a new coalition, which collapsed in 1990. He then opposed Shamir's government until replaced as Labour Party leader by Itzhak Rabin (1992), and shared the Nobel Peace Prize with him in 1994. In 1995–6 Peres served a second term as prime minister. |
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