Shimon Peres sworn in as ninth President of Israel

Israel's elder statesman, Shimon Peres, was sworn in Sunday evening as the country's 9th president.In his speech to the Knesset after he was sworn in, Peres stressed the need for Israel to seize the chance for peace-making, saying that"When opportunity for peace is created, it mustn't be missed.""The president must encourage peace processes.Within the house.With our neighbours.In the whole region," he continued.He paid homage to several of Israel's fallen leaders, including his mentor and Israel's first prime minister,David Ben-Gurion, calling him "the greatest Jew I've ever known."Peres remembered slain prime minister and fellow Labor party leader Yitzhak Rabin,who was assassinated in 1995 by a Jewish extremist. "On this festive occasion, I mourn in my heart Yitzhak Rabin's murder,"Peres said.He also mentioned former prime minister Ariel Sharon,who has been in a coma since January 2006, calling him "a great fighter and courageous leader." The presidency in Israel is a largely ceremonial role, a major departure from Peres' 60 years in every major post in Israeli politics. "In my heart, today, there dwell together joy, facing the challenge you have placed on me, but also sadness at the hour of parting. I am leaving this house-the beating heart of Israeli democracy, after having saddled its benches for forty-eight years, more than half of my life," he said.
To read more go to:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/881932.html
As in the days of Noah...