Shimon Peres

Born Szymon Perski in Vishnyeva, Poland (now Belarus), Peres emigrated to Palestine with his family in 1932. He was a prodigious talent, quickly rising through the ranks of the nascent Israeli government under David Ben-Gurion. His career spanned over seven decades, serving in virtually every major cabinet post, including Prime Minister twice.

Peres was instrumental in developing Israel's defense capabilities, including its nuclear program, though he always maintained a deliberate ambiguity on the latter. He was also a key architect of the Oslo Accords, earning him the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat. His later years were marked by a transformation from hawk to elder statesman, advocating tirelessly for peace.

Despite his long and storied career, Peres had a knack for losing elections, often snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. He was famously defeated by Benjamin Netanyahu in 1996, a loss many attributed to his somewhat aloof and intellectual public persona. No wonder he eventually settled for the presidency, a largely ceremonial role.