Peres at 90 Our World

dozen cabinet posts. He has played such a key role in shaping his

The president of Israel is 90. Shimon Peres is the oldest head of

state in the world. He is even oldest than his country -- old. --

he is even older than his country. He played a defining role in

Israel's past. But the amazing thing about him. He

has been right there at every critical point in Israel's history.

He is the ultimate survivor. A politician who kept losing a

lecterns but kept going. When you look at his career, you don't see

any political principle, except the principle that he has to be there.

want to know, how does Shimon Peres being both doer and dreamer?

didn't change. It's as simple as that. Mr Peres, and you can't, I've

Reaching 90 is a landmark for anyone. The birthday party for this

president was something else. A spectacle.

His friends and fans came from far and wide. Birthday, he is 90, now he

is president, what comes next? Britain, we have our Queen, and you

have your Shimon Peres. He is now in a largely ceremonial

role. Enjoying popularity he only dream job as a politician. At 90, he

is still hard at work. Israel's best-known ambassador. That is an

exaggeration. You have to inspect the calendar as well. How does it

feel to be having your 90th birthday party while the whole nation is

watching? You must be happy to reach 90? What is the alternative?His

birthday party was part of a three-day conference. It was

labelled Shaping Tomorrow. The sum is rarely is, it went too far. --

for some Israelis. In time of oppression, in raising taxes, people

looked at it in very strange way. For others, it was a way to

celebrate a man who has been part of their history. He has been in a

leadership role for the past 65 years. There is a part of Israelis

but don't want to let go of that period, they don't want to let go of

their founding fathers. Israel is hold on to their history .

They see it as key to their survival. Theodor Herzl, the

foundation of Israel. At every decisive juncture, Shimon Peres has

played a decisive role. Shimon Peres was born in what was

then Poland at 1923. The sun of a librarian and they'd timber

merchant. -- the son of a librarian and a timber merchant. He joined the

youth movement. It wasn't long before he stood with the men who

were tasked with them role of building Israel. He became the

youngest ever general of the defence Ministry.

The United States and Britain refused to sell arms to the new

state. So Shimon Peres turned to France. The single-minded

determination came cheap define his career. -- came to define.

He succeeded to get the weapons Israel needed. Today, Israel has the

most advanced military in the Middle East. Including significant

airpower. The man who bought the first plane is still brings side. --

ringside. Even on days when Israel is talking

about making peace, it has always been about peace and security. The

two have always been linked in the life of Shimon Peres. I didn't

change. If somebody wants... If somebody wants... It's as simple as

that. In the early years, it prevailed. He

did it despite fierce opposition here and abroad. You pushed almost

single-handedly to give Israel back power. You feel vindicated now.

tried to build a nuclear option in order to get peace and not to get

bombs. I think I achieved that purpose. I think piece started

because... I never thought. -- peace. There are enemies. They

wanted to destroy us. In its 65 years, Israel has gone to

war in every decade. It has done battle against Arab neighbours and

Palestinians. Always insisting it acted in self-defence. Always

accused of aggression and occupation.

Two decades ago, the guns fell silent, at least for a moment.

Trying to make peace became the best defence against war. What we are

doing today, is more than signing an agreement, it is starting a

revolution. Yesterday, I dream, today, a commitment. Israeli and

Palestinian leaders put their signatures to the Oslo Accord. They

had made a strategic shift even if it was still difficult to seal it

with a handshake. After a shock hands with Arafat. -- after I

shook. I looked at Arafat as a human being with his strength and

weaknesses. As I permit myself my own weaknesses, we should permit

others their weaknesses are. So they shook hands on the first deal. A

year later, this historic deal inspired many. He also had a

perspective related to Israel's Place in the region and in the

community -- international community. A sufficient

requirement... These are major achievements.

In November 1995, two old rivals stood together again at a peace

rally in Tel Aviv. The mood that night was euphoric. It was soon

shattered by a shocking turn. He was murdered. Shot by an Israeli

fanatic, against the Oslo deal. As a correspondent covering these

events, I saw how the mood darkened dangerously. Israeli attacks on

Palestinians hadn't stopped either. Anger was mounting a specially

amongst right wing Israelis. As he found, when he visited the site of

one of the blasts. I came to the place, there were 40 people killed.

The halls were full of blood. There were thousands around. I came in,

everyone started shouting, killer, murderer, look what you did to us.

Now it's 20 years since Oslo. You never thought it was a mistake?

Hundreds were killed because of Oslo. Without Oslo, thousands would

have been killed. In fact it would have been worse, terrible.

decades on, the two nations still haven't signed a final peace deal

and the US is still trying to broker one. It is impossible to say how

many times Shimon Peres has had these kind of meetings to try to

move forward a troubled peace process. And the time has become an

issue. Not just because Shimon Peres is now 90 years old, because they

say time is running out for a genuine peace deal. For the

Palestinians involved in this process, Shimon Peres is a

formidable foe. This negotiating behaviour must stop, I said to him.

He said to me negotiating and pain and frustration for five years is

cheaper than exchanging bullets fired years. -- for five minutes. He

was right. Do you think he wants peace? He wants peace.Do you think

you could have done more to achieve this? His greatest mistake was to

open up settlements. He thought he could have settlements and peace. I

told him he cannot many times. The choice is between settlements or

peace. Some of the first Jewish settlements on occupied land were

built when someone is -- Shimon Peres was minister. Eight cost of

caravans were selected on the West Bank by an ultranationalist

religious movement. Some tried to stop the settlers, but Shimon Peres

backed them against his rivals in the Cabinet. In part, before his own

political gain. -- for his own political gain. Those who listen to

you talking about peace expect you to be more critical of settlement

building and they look back and they say that the first settlements were

built on your watch. When my party lost, there were 22 settlements

with, I think, 6000 people. That's what we built. When you compare the

6000 to 350,000. The Palestinians say that you cannot discuss the land

for a Palestinian state when they continued -- when these rivers

continue to build settlements on it. The Palestinians agreed there would

be three blocks. Jewish settlers on the West Bank remained. That was a

proposal introduced by President Clinton. It was right and

acceptable. In my experience, negotiation is the main thing to

have new solutions. But the two state solution is regarded by many

as being at risk by the pace of settlement building. And there are

other major obstacles to a deal that demand painful compromises by

Israeli and Palestinian leaders. In the end, it comes down to political

will. And politics has been the life of Shimon Peres. Decades spent

negotiating, manipulating, manoeuvring. Always at the centre of

his political life. Three times Prime Minister, a dozen cabinet

posts. I met in the first time when he was close to 70. He was then

Foreign Minister. I thought that was the end of his career. But then he

became Foreign Minister again, he became prime minister, and then he

became president of the state of Israel. This is remarkable.

showed an ability to keep bouncing back from lost collections. Moving

across Israel's political spectrum, joining coalitions and shifting

allegiances. For some, it is that determination to survive that

defines him. The only political principle for him was Shimon Peres.

That is the only principle. He has to be in power and he has to be

where things are being held, where decisions are being held. When you

look at his career, you do not see any political principle except the

principle that he has to be there. What you say to your critics now

that say that when you were a politician who were more interested

in the position of the principles? would say it's normal to -- normal

for people to criticise. But on the other hand, I am surprised for the

support, not what people think. I have a rating of 80%. What does this

mean? I have to say nothing. It didn't take any PR company to do it.

I did it. I remain the same person. Shimon Peres has always styled

himself as a man of vision, full of ideas and dreams for his young

nation. Now it is the world of brain research, nanotechnology, technology

of every kind has always captured his imagination. Even if he does not

always bring everyone with him. Sometimes he makes mistakes and

sometimes people laugh at him. But as a Sun bought it, it is enough for

me that 10% of what my father is imagining added inventing will come

true, and I'll be happy. Whatever you think about his politics and his

ideas, there is no doubting his charisma. Even his critics succumb

to his sense of humour, his sharp wit. A wordsmith able to make people

laugh, even in the most trying of times. The first line he told me

once when we were arguing, he said you can make omelettes out of eggs

but you cannot make eggs out of omelettes. I asked him, is the light

at the end of the tunnel? And he said yes there is, but there is no

tunnel. Then there is the energy. The refusal to slow down, despite

his advancing years. His hectic schedule often takes him up and down

the country. Many ask you, what is the secret of your energy? What

keeps you going? The secret of my energy is simple. I use it. People

have too much pity about themselves, so they become lazy. If

you try, you achieved many things. Your life is becoming meaningful.

That is the greatest thing you can achieve in your life. The

alternative is to be bored. A person who is bored as the person who is

dead. I am never bored in my life. But despite all his drive and

ambition, in the twilight of his career, one goal still eludes him.

Peace. In his role as president, there is only so much you can do.

Here's what we call the shields. He was the for the second Benjamin

Netanyahu government. That is the guy who ensures -- assure us that

the Americans and the Europeans that everything is working. Always

reaching an agreement, just give them some time. And in a

relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Be sure that he shares

your vision of the two state solution? For many years, the

declaration that there was a distant solution is an ideological step

forward. But he does not have the kind of cabinet that can make peace.

Most are against that solution. Maybe I look upon it differently

than his party, so what. I can do what I can do. There is no dictator

in a democratic country. I cannot give orders. Many saying time is

running out. Maybe. So, time is up. What to do? Time is out, we not out.

Life is not out. So I have to continue and thrive. That is it.

that surprised me. The would-be peacemaker who seems at peace with

the prospect he may not achieve it. But perhaps, that is Shimon Peres.

The philosopher who is first and foremost the ultimate pragmatist. As

we walk through the grounds of his official residence, we find a

fitting symbol. It has one trunk and to trees coming from the same trunk.

You have a fig tree and an olive tree? That is a Shimon Peres tree.

Two things in one. I am not to things. I am one thing in two

different situations. Shimon Peres is a man had his time. As times

change, so has he. Through the decades, he changed the course of