Prof. Rafi Walden, Peres’ son-in-law and his personal physician, reiterated his optimistic forecast, saying that when the doctors stop the sedation for a while, Peres squeezed his hand “warmly”, when he asked him to, and seemed aware of his surroundings.
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Zeev Feldman, president of the Israeli Neurosurgical Association and involved in Peres’ treatment, told AFP “the fact that he regained consciousness gives us some cautious optimism”. He is considered in stable but serious condition, with some improvement.
Then Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres (C) signing the historic Israel-PLO Oslo Accords on Palestinian autonomy in the occupied territories in a ceremony in 1993 at the White House in Washington, D.C.as (from L to R) Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, an unidentified aide, US President Bill Clinton and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat look on. “We are impressed by the way the state of his recognition has improved considerably in the last few hours”, Mr Walden said.
Mr Peres has held nearly every major political office since Israel was founded in 1948, and was the architect of Israel’s secret nuclear programme.
“What I can say is that, even though we are still waiting, there is improvement and that is good”, he added.
Peres’ office confirmed that he was admitted to the hospital and that the former president is in stable condition.
In a statement released late afternoon in Israel, Yitzhak Kreis, director general of the Sheba Medical Center, said Peres was on a respirator and under sedation.
He said his head hurt, causing the medical team to suspect a stroke. It was the first peace agreement between the two principal parties to the conflict: Israelis and Palestinians.
The “massive intracranial hemorrhage” occurred in the middle of a typically busy day for the nonagenarian, who turned 93 on August 2 but has remained active in public life after a seven-decade career as a politician. He was hospitalized twice more with chest pains.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian, for their contribution to the Oslo Accords that were meant to lay the foundations for a resolution Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Just last week, JOL reported that Peres received an artificial pacemaker following a series of incidents during which he felt ill due to abnormal heart rhythm.
As Israel’s ninth president, he addressed the Turkish parliament in 2007, becoming the first Israeli president to speak to a Muslim country’s legislature.
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.
Peres was rushed to the hospital in mid-January after suffering a minor heart attack.
The chief rabbis of Israel have called on the public to pray for Mr Peres’ recovery.
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Netanyahu said on his Twitter account: “Shimon, we all love you”.
