Peres lies in state at the Knesset as public says goodbye
The casket of Israel's ninth president is stationed outside the Knesset as hundreds of people are waiting to pass by and say their final farewell; President Rivlin, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Edelstein all laid wreaths.
Israel's ninth president Shimon Peres, who passed away overnight Tuesday, lies in state outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, as hundreds of Israelis are waiting to pass by his casket and pay their respects to the last of Israel's founding fathers.
The casket will remain outside the Knesset until 9pm Thursday, while Peres's funeral is planned for Friday morning.
Dozens of leaders, dignitaries and long-time friends are expected to attend Peres's funeral, including US President Barack Obama, Seceretary of State John Kerry, former President Bill Clinton, Canadin Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former British prime minister Tony Blair, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, Prince Charles, French President François Hollande, German President Joachim Gauck, King Felipe VI of Spain and the presidents ot Ukraine, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Latvia and Mexico.
It is yet unknown, however, if any dignitaries from Arab countries will be attending Peres's funeral.
Some of the dignitaries arrived in Israel on Thursday, including former US President Bill Clinton.
Peres will be buried at the Great Leaders of the Nation Plot at Mt. Herzl. His plot is located between those of former prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Yitzhak Shamir. Peres will be buried alone, as his late wife Sonya requested to be buried in Moshav Ben Shemen, while Shimon Peres made it clear his wish to buried at Mt. Herzl.
On Friday at 8:30am, Peres's coffin will begin its journey to Mt. Herzl, where a funeral of some 5,000 attendees will take place in front of Theodore Herzl's tomb.
Several dignitaries will deliver their eulogies during the wide-scale ceremony, including President Obama, following which the procession will move to the Great Leaders of the Nation's Plot, where a smaller group of roughly 500 people—including world heads of state—will take part in it.
In accordance with Jewish custom, Peres's shiva (mourning period) will begin two hours before sunset on Friday, and will resume after the Shabbat passes and then on Sunday, until two hours before the begining of Rosh Hashanah. The shiva will take place at the Peres Center for Peace, 132 Kedem St., Jaffa.
In addition to Obama, Peres will be honored by his three children—Tsvia Walden, Yoni and Chemi Peres—and by President Reuven Rivlin and Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein, all of whom will be speaking at his funeral.
The Peres family asked singer David D'Or to sing the Jewish prayer Avinu Malkeinu during the funeral.
