Beit Hanassi: President Shimon Peres: Forever young

Despite being 85, his work day often extends to 15 hours and more.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Peres 224.88 (photo credit: AP)
Peres 224.88
(photo credit: AP)
'I'm the youngest person here," says President Shimon Peres to a room full of people. They laugh politely at the man who at 85 is the country's most senior figure in public office, in terms of both position and age. But Peres isn't really joking, and his audiences gradually realize that the combination of unflagging curiosity and creativity in his amazingly fertile brain are just the right mix for his personal elixir of youth. Just like a child who almost instinctively examines everything within his immediate range of vision, looking at it from every angle and sometimes taking it apart and putting it together again, so Peres approaches new discoveries with a sense of glee, dreaming up many uses to which they can be applied. He loves to talk to scientists, engineers, geologists, environmentalists, writers - in fact anyone who can contribute a new idea. He is equally at home with economists, business executives, historians, high-ranking army officers - and most of all young people, with whom he has an excellent rapport. His work day often extends to 15 hours and more. Aside from numerous meetings with people in government, high-ranking civil servants, heads of the defense and security establishment, religious leaders, diplomats and visiting heads of state, he travels the country extensively, meeting people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds and from all walks of life. He makes it his business to visit peripheral areas in the Negev and Galilee and also attends milestone events of organizations and institutions all over the country. He goes to hospitals to visit wounded soldiers and victims of terrorism, and pays condolence calls to families whose loved ones have been killed in service to the state or in a terrorist attack. He travels abroad on state visits, and most recently was asked by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni to represent the country at the UN General Assembly because the political situation precluded them from doing so. He is never too tired to undertake a new mission and a new challenge, in addition to which he leads a busy social life. He exercises both his brain and his body, and is fond of saying that if you eat three meals a day you might gain weight, but if you read three books you will gain knowledge. Peres's Challenges The president is an apolitical figure. President Shimon Peres, despite predictions to the contrary, has stayed aloof from party politics, but has added strength to government policies by commenting on issues such as Iran, Syria and the peace process with the Palestinians. However he has no choice but to become politically embroiled in the future of the nation. He has served with Tzipi Livni in government and is therefore aware of both her strengths and her weaknesses. In addition, he is outspokenly in favor of women taking leadership roles and becoming more active in the decision-making process. On Monday, given the result of the Kadima primary, he asked her to form a government, after fulfilling the law which requires that he first consult with representatives of all the parties in the Knesset. If Livni fails to form a government in the specified time span, Peres will have to inform the Knesset speaker, the Knesset will be dissolved, elections will be held and he will have to endure another around of consultations before tasking another MK to form a government.