“Today, with deep sorrow, we bid farewell to our beloved father, the ninth president of Israel, Shimon Peres,” said Peres’ son, Chemi, in a statement. “My father used to say: ‘You are only as great as the cause you serve.’ He had no interest other than serving the people of Israel, in whom he had great faith and whom he loved dearly until his final breath.”

Peres was rushed to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer on September 13 after a stroke led to bleeding in his brain. While doctors originally gave him a “cautiously optimistic” prognosis, Peres’ condition then took a turn for the worse and he passed away around 2 am on September 27.

Born Szymon Perski on August 2, 1923 in Vishneva, Poland, Peres immigrated with his family to the British-controlled Mandate of Palestine in 1934. In 1945, he married Sonia Gelman, two years before he joined the Hagana paramilitary organization, which later became the IDF. In 1953, at just 29, he was named director general of Israel’s Defense Ministry, becoming the youngest person to ever hold the position. He was first elected to the Knesset in 1959, and would become the longest-serving MK in Israeli history, a role which included a term as prime minister from 1984 to 1986.

Peres was appointed foreign minister in 1992, which allowed him to participate in the secret negotiations that led to the signing of the Oslo Accords. Peres, along with then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat, was awarded the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize as a result of that process.

After Rabin’s assassination in 1995, Peres took up the mantle, serving as both prime minister and defense minister for several months until the next elections. That same year, he formed the Peres Center for Peace to promote better understanding and dialogue between Israelis, Palestinians and Israeli Arabs.

Peres continued to serve in the Knesset through the early 2000s, at one point leaving the Labor party to support then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his newly formed Kadima faction. In 2007, Peres was elected Israel’s ninth president. Throughout his career Peres, was recognized and honored by foreign leaders, including being ordained a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George by Queen Elizabeth II; receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Barack Obama; being award the Congressional Gold Medal by the US House of Representatives. Peres also authored 11 books on Israeli politics and history, as well as on the Middle East region.

At a special government meeting called Wednesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eulogized Peres and said he joins “the Israeli public, the Jewish people and many worldwide, bowing my head in memory of the nation’s beloved Shimon Peres. “Shimon Peres’ name will be forever etched in the Jewish people’s book of revival, as one of the greatest leaders Israel has ever known, and one of the state of Israel’s founding fathers. May his memory be cherished in the nation’s heart.” President Reuven Rivlin eulogized his predecessor, saying Peres was “young at heart and had an unwavering belief in the ability to achieve one’s goals.” “There is not a chapter in the history of the state of Israel which Shimon did not write or play a part,” he said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement saying, “We bow our heads in respect for a great leader, champion of peace and beloved icon Shimon Peres. Blessed be his memory.” Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett ordered schools nationwide to dedicate the first hour of Wednesday’s curriculum to Peres’ legacy. Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak called Peres “a giant,” while Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon and Consul General in New York Dani Dayan referred to him as a “man of hope.”

International Jewish groups and world leaders are issuing their own condolences. “Israeli-Americans join millions around the world in mourning and saluting one of the most beloved, visionary, and respected Israeli leaders in history,” said the Israeli American Council in a statement. World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder said Peres was “one of the greatest human beings I have ever known.” Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Natan Sharansky issued a statement that “when I was released from captivity and arrived in Israel, he was the first Israeli I saw upon landing, when he came as prime minister to greet me. I will always remember him as the individual who started the Israeli chapter of my life. I have always admired his devotion to his values and vision.”

Jerry Silverman, President and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), said, “Shimon Peres was North American Jewry’s greatest ally, advocate and friend in Israel.” The National Jewish Democratic Council called Peres “a lifelong leader and trailblazer for the Jewish people and the state of Israel,” while the Republican Jewish Coalition called him “a man of vision and a good friend of the United States.” American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO David Harris, who met with Peres many times both in Israel and the US, said that “Peres had extraordinary energy, boundless optimism, and future-oriented vision, not only about the possibilities of peace and coexistence in the region, but also about the exciting pathways of new technologies for the benefit of humankind — from nano-science to mapping the brain.”

Peres’ funeral will take place on Friday. He will lie in state at the Knesset Plaza on Thursday, so the public can bid farewell to Israel’s most veteran statesman. The Israeli flag will fly at half-mast at government buildings as well as Israeli diplomatic missions abroad.

Dozens of world leaders are expected to attend the funeral service, which will be held at Mount Herzl, Israel’s national cemetery in Jerusalem. The many world leaders expected to attend the funeral service include Obama, US Secretary of State John Kerry, former President Bill Clinton, French President Francois Hollande, Britain’s Prince Charles and former Prime Minister David Cameron,

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, German President Joachim Gauck, and others. In a statement, Obama called Peres the “the essence of Israel itself.” “A light has gone out, but the hope he gave us will burn forever,” Obama said. “Shimon Peres was a soldier for Israel, for the Jewish people, for justice, for peace and for the belief that we can be true to our best selves — to the very end of our time on earth, and in the legacy that we leave to others. For the gift of his friendship and the example of his leadership, todah rabah (thank you very much), Shimon.” “I am sadder than words can express. This is a man who was a political giant, a statesman who will rank as one of the foremost of this era or any era, and someone I loved deeply,” said former British Prime Minister and Quartet envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair. German President Joachim Gauck lauded Peres as a “model for peace.” In a message of condolence, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “I was lucky enough to have the chance to speak with this remarkable person many times. Every time I admired his courage and patriotism, his wisdom and vision, his ability to grasp the essence of the most difficult issues.” Israel’s Foreign Ministry believes officials from Egypt and Jordan will attend Peres’s funeral, along with other representatives from Arab states. According to reports, Pope Francis is also expected to attend. “Our father’s legacy has always been the future. Look to tomorrow, he taught us, build Israel’s future with courage and with wisdom and always continue to strive for peace. We were privileged to have been part of his private family. But today, we sense that the entire nation of Israel and the global community mourn this great loss. We share this pain, together,” said Peres’ son Chemi.