World leaders mourn, praise the man and his leadership

Current and former world leaders mourned the passing of Shimon Peres on Wednesday, praising him as a patriot, visionary statesman and man of principle who was deeply committed to pursuing peace in a region that has mostly eluded it.

President Barack Obama called Peres "the essence of Israel itself," noting he had fought for Israel's independence, worked its land and served Israel in virtually every government position, including three stints as prime minister.

"I'll never forget how happy he was 23 years ago when he signed the Oslo Accords on the White House lawn, heralding a more hopeful era in Israeli-Palestinian relations," former president Bill Clinton said in a statement. "He was a genius with a big heart who used his gifts to imagine a future of reconciliation not conflict."