Shimon Peres remembered by Philadelphia community

CENTER CITY (WPVI) -- Shimon Peres was Israel's prime minister and president.

He held every major cabinet post.

Peres emigrated from Poland at age 12 and became one of the world's great political leaders. He suffered a massive stroke two weeks ago.

His son announced his death at the age of 93.

"He had no interest other than serving the people of Israel in whom he had great love," son Chemi Peres said.

In 1994, Peres was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat after he secretly helped broker the historic Oslo peace accords with the Palestinians a year earlier.

Our own Jim Gardner sat down with Peres in 1996 when he was awarded the Liberty Medal in Philadelphia.

"You know many people, politicians, wants to be popular. I prefer to be unpopular because what it is to be popular - to agree with things that exist," Peres said.

Action News spoke with Naomi Adler, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

"Many, many people in Philadelphia feel a true connection to Israel and part of that is the work that Shimon Peres did to make sure not only could we be there safely, but also that we could feel the greatest for our homeland," Adler said.

The funeral for Shimon Peres is set for Friday in Jerusalem.

President Barack Obama will be in attendance leading the US delegation and joined by world leaders and dignitaries from throughout the world.