AKIPRESS.COM - Shimon Peres was the last of the generation of politicians who founded Israel in 1948 to leave the public stage, BBC reported.

But even though his life of public service stretched over 70 years, it is not difficult to pick out the highlight.

In 1993 he was one of the group of politicians including Bill Clinton, Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin who signed the Oslo Accords - Israel's first peace deal with the Palestinians.

It was not to live up to its early promise - but in those optimistic days no-one articulated that promise better than he did.

"We live in an ancient land," he told a watching world at a signing ceremony on the White House lawn.

"Our land is small, so must our reconciliation be great. I want to tell the Palestinian delegation that we are sincere... Let all of us turn from bullets to ballots, from guns to shovels. We shall pray with you. We shall offer you our help in making Gaza prosper and Jericho blossom again.