Israeli leaders mourn death of Mandela

Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday mourned the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela, honoring him as a builder of peace. "The world lost a great leader who changed the course of history," Peres said in his statement, describing Mandela as "a fighter for human rights who left an indelible mark on the struggle against racism and discrimination." "He was a passionate advocate for democracy, a respected mediator, a Nobel peace prize laureate and above all a builder of bridges of peace and dialogue who paid a heavy personal price for his struggle in the years he spent in prison and fighting for his people," Peres said. "Nelson Mandela's legacy for his people and for the world will forever remain engraved in the pages of history and the hearts of all those who were touched by him. He will be remembered forever," the Israeli president added. In his statement, Netanyahu lauded Mandela as "the father of his country, a man of vision and a freedom fighter who disavowed violence." "He set a personal example for his country during the long years in which he was imprisoned. He was never haughty. He worked to heal rifts within South African society and succeeded in preventing outbreaks of racial hatred," Netanyahu said. "He will be remembered as the father of the new South Africa and a moral leader of the highest order." Best known for his long struggle against apartheid, Mandela died Thursday night at the age of 95 at his home in Johannesburg following a prolonged battle with a lung infection. Also on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israeli leaders to follow the lead of Nelson Mandela to make peace. "Those who say peace in a region is an impossible task are wrong. It always seems impossible until it's done," Kerry quoted Mandela as saying. "That example of Nelson Mandela is an example we all need to take to heart as we try to reach a two-state solution," Kerry told reporters at the airport near Tel Aviv after a two-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, referring to the proposal advocated by the international community to end the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.