Few Israelis dreamed as ardently for peace as did Shimon Peres. Peres, who died last week at the age of 93, was no idle dreamer, however. He was an unabashed, articulate and indefatigable advocate of peace — who also, ironically, was one of the most important architects of the Israeli military machine. While he had a checkered political career — he will be remembered more for the defeats his Labor Party suffered under his leadership than victories — he was one of the country's most popular politicians at the time of his death. As the world remembers this statesman, it is important that his commitment to peace not be forgotten or left unfulfilled.

Peres was born Shimon Persky in 1923 to a merchant family in rural Poland. His family emigrated to Palestine 11 years later, and after studying at an agricultural school he helped found a kibbutz. He soon became active in the political group that was to become the Labor Party. He showed promise: At the age of 18 he was appointed coordinator of a youth movement attached to the General Labor Federation, where he caught the attention of David Ben-Gurion, founder of the state of Israel.

When Israel gained independence in 1948, Peres was named head of the naval service, a job that took him to the United States on purchasing missions. He learned English, a skill that allowed him to pursue education at U.S. universities and laid a foundation for the international diplomacy that would mark his career. He put that education to use upon his return to Israel by reorganizing the Defense Ministry. While he was instrumental in developing Israel's indigenous weapons industry, he was also a tough negotiator on arms deals. That effort allowed him to build a relationship with France that laid the foundation for Israel's nuclear weapons program.