Doctors treating former Israeli president Shimon Peres have said he continues to improve after suffering a major stroke.
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His son-in-law, Rafi Walden, told reporters it was too soon to tell whether there was going to be any lasting neurological damage from the stroke, which reportedly affected the right side of Peres’ brain.
Statements of concern came in from across the Israeli political spectrum, as dozens of journalists gathered outside Israel’s largest hospital, located just outside Tel Aviv, awaiting word on his condition.
He was sedated in the intensive care unit and was breathing with the help of a respirator.
Over his seven-decade career, Peres held almost every major position in the Israeli government, including serving as prime minister twice, as well as extended tenures as defense, foreign and finance minister. In addition to serving as President from 2007 until 2014, he was Prime Minister on two occasions and a member of twelve cabinets.
Peres, who served as prime minister and went on to retire as Israel’s ninth president, was the victor of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize along with the late prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and the late Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.
Peres is the last Israeli who was “there” – when Israel was established.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who defeated Peres in 1996 to become prime minister, personally called the hospital to enquire on Peres’ condition and posted a Facebook message wishing him a speedy recovery. On the same day, he met visiting US Vice President Joe Biden.
His son Chemi also expressed optimism on Wednesday.
“It is an environment that is not natural for a human being and which can create complications”.
In January, Peres was hospitalised twice for heart trouble. In the first instance, the hospital said he had suffered a “mild cardiac event” resulting in catheterization to widen an artery.
Peres has sought to maintain an active schedule despite his age, particularly through events related to his Peres Center for Peace.
The 93-year-old was reportedly responsive to simple prompts.
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Beyond his accomplishments in the public eye, he was also seen as a driving force in the development of Israel’s undeclared nuclear programme.
