Twice Israel's prime minister and, later, the ninth president of Israel, Peres is being remembered by Montreal's Jewish community for nearly seven decades of service to his country. "He was just a great statesman and a pillar in the Jewish community," said Montrealer Issie Karpman. Over his long career in politics, Peres, one of the key architects of the Oslo Peace Accord, travelled to Montreal in 2012 to thank the city's Jewish community for their support for Israel. 'It's absolutely devastating'Some Montreal resident say Peres was the grandfather of Israel and that learning of his death was difficult. Shimon Peres served as both president and prime minister of Israel.

Source: CBC News September 28, 2016 22:18 UTC