Peres celebrates 90th

LINDA GRADSTEIN THE MEDIA LINE

Shimon Peres is the world’s oldest head of state. He is also the last of Israel’s founding generation – and Israel pulled out all the stops for his big day. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton, Barbra Streisand, Robert DeNiro and Sharon Stone were among 2,000 guests who attended a birthday bash in Jerusalem.

“We are here to pay tribute to the last living Israeli who knew King David,” Clinton said jokingly of Peres, referring to the biblical figure of 3,000 years ago. “No Israeli should forget that your political career spans more than 65 years…. You were part of 12 different cabinets, and anybody who can endure that many boring meetings deserves to be 90 and more.”

Peres’ birthday is also tied to the fifth Presidential Conference, called Facing Tomorrow. Clinton received a standing ovation when Peres gave him the Presidential Medal of Distinction.

Clinton ”became a leader of humanity by inspiring and not imposing,” Peres said of the former president. “Your unwavering commitment to the Jewish people and your moving support for the state of Israel will always be cherished. The future will hang upon your immeasurable contribution.”

Clinton had tears in his eyes as he accepted the honor. He referenced Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “We and They,” that the world is divided into “us” and “them.”

“I accept this award because I feel like a poor pilgrim on a constant journey to expand the definition of ‘us’ and shrink the definition of ‘them,’” Clinton said. “There are no final victories. There are no perfect warriors for peace. There are no flawless leaders. There is no perfect answer to any of us.”

Clinton also said one of his greatest mistakes as president was ignoring the Rwandan genocide, in which 10 percent of the country’s population were killed over a 90-day period. He spoke as Rwandan President Paul Kagame sat listening.

Former British premier Tony Blair warned Israelis and Palestinians that time is running out for a two-state solution that would see an independent Palestinian state next to Israel.

“Resolution of this conflict remains essential to the security of Israel and to the dignity of Palestinians,” Blair told 5,000 attendees at the conference. “Some people say a two-state solution is now a fantasy. I say the fantasy is in thinking a one-state solution would ever be remotely sustainable or consistent with the values Israel represents. The window of opportunity will be open for only a short space of time. We must go through it together. If not the window will close, and could even close forever. This is urgent and this is now. It is a time for statesmen and not only politicians.”

The Presidential Conference brings together 5,000 Jewish leaders from around the world to discuss politics, economics, technology and culture. At a panel entitled Israel’s Role in a Changing Middle East, former Mossad chief Meir Dagan urged Israel to move forward on peace with the Palestinians.

“The IDF can protect Israel from any border,” Dagan said. “Should we wait for Hamas to take over the West Bank? The sooner we enter dialogue, the better for Israel.”

Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer urged Israel to freeze construction in areas Israel acquired in 1967. “Let’s say you agree that this is not the time for final status,” Kurtzer said, referring to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians. “Why would you dig yourself into a deeper hole with settlements every day? The Arab world is now ready to deal with the state of Israel with certain parameters.”

Kurtzer urged Israel to reconsider the Arab peace plan of 2002, which called for Israel to have peace with dozens of Muslim and Arab states in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from all lands acquired in 1967.

The Presidential Conference attracts Jewish leaders from around the world. Beverly Michaelis, co-chair of women’s division United Israel Appeal in Sydney, Australia, said she found the conference inspiring.

“It was an absolute privilege and a pleasure to be here,” she told reporters. “I’ve always admired and looked up to Bill Clinton, and he was amazing. Shimon Peres is a special man and to be in the room with them both was an amazing privilege.”

Many of the guests said the conference offers them a chance to meet like-minded colleagues from around the world.

“We’re challenged in getting young families connected to Israel,” Rob Berkowitz, executive director for Jewish National Fund in Manitoba, told this reporter. “Even though Israel is a strong stable state, it still needs help.”

For others, it was a chance to come home. Pnina Pinchevsky, an Israeli-born psychotherapist who lives in Montreal, said she planned a family visit around the country. “As I get older, I miss my roots and culture more and more,” she said. “When I come here, I feel emotionally and physically better. I think I’ll come to this conference every year.”

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