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Itongadol.- President Shimon Peres\’ 90th birthday celebrations reached their pinnacle on Tuesday evening in Jerusalem with a massive, star studded party that coincided with the opening of the fifth annual Israeli Presidential Conference.
Former British prime minister Tony Blair kicked off the event, wishing Peres a happy birthday. Addressing the crowd, Blair said: "We have our queen, and you have your Shimon."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also congratulated Peres saying, "you are the man of peace, the man of vision."
"We extend our hand in peace to our neighbors but we are always ready to defend ourselves," Netanyahu said. "This is what I\’ve learned from Shimon Peres: look to the future, remember the past, and be prepared to defend yourself."
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton delivered his much awaited speech, telling Peres, "You are the world\’s social Einstein."
"You have tried to put together a unified theory of meaning to unite politics and philosophy and psychology and history and science and technology," he said. " Every one of us who has been blessed enough to know you… has been made a little bigger, a little stronger, and a little more optimistic that one day your theory will be real."
"On your 90th birthday, what we really celebrate, is your great gift to all of us. God bless you."
Many arrived in town to wish Peres Mazal Tov, from former U.S. President Bill Clinton to actress Sharon Stone to sexologist Ruth Wertheimer to the prince of Monaco, Albert II. Hundreds of other politicians, diplomats, businesspeople, artists, royals, thinkers and Jewish figures were in attendance as well.