Bill Clinton to attend Peres’s funeral in Israel

Former President Bill Clinton will travel to Israel for former Israeli President Shimon Peres’s funeral, according to his spokesman.

President Clinton will travel to Israel to attend the services for President Shimon Peres.

— Angel Urena (@angelurena) September 28, 2016

{mosads}Peres, 93, died earlier Wednesday in Tel Aviv following a distinguished 55-year career in global politics.

Clinton on Wednesday mourned the loss of Peres, who also served twice as Israel’s prime minister.

“I will miss Shimon Peres, my brilliant and eloquent friend,” he tweeted. “His life was a blessing to all who strive for peace.”

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, voiced sorrow over Peres’s death in a separate statement issued with her husband.

“With the passing of Shimon Peres, Israel has lost a leader who championed its security, prosperity, and limitless possibilities from its birth to his last day on earth,” they said in a statement published by the Clinton Foundation.

“The Middle East has lost a fervent advocate for peace and reconciliation and for a future where all the children of Abraham build a better tomorrow together. Let those of us who loved him and love his nation keep his dream alive.”

Bill Clinton was scheduled to stump for his wife’s Oval Office bid on Friday and Saturday in Florida.

Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign on Wednesday announced he had canceled bus tour stops in Jacksonville, Panama City and Tallahassee for his Israel trip.

Peres was hospitalized at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer last week after suffering a stroke.

The Israeli leader earlier this month underwent surgery to receive an artificial pacemaker following several minor health complications this summer.

Peres was diagnosed in July with atrial fibrillation, or an abnormal heart rhythm. He also suffered a mild heart attack in January before having a blocked artery cleared.

The Times of Israel last week described Peres as the last surviving member of Israel’s founding fathers and a veteran of the Knesset, its national legislature.

Peres is often celebrated as one of the architects of the Oslo Accords, an interim peace deal between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization brokered in 1993.

President Obama on Wednesday praised Peres for his “unshakeable moral foundation and unflagging optimism.”