While President Barack Obama attended the funeral for former Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on Friday, photographers captured an emotional moment between the U.S. president and Peres’ son, Chemi.
Kobi Gideon of the Israel Government Press Office took a photo of Obama offering Peres his handkerchief during the remembrance for his father, who was a major force in Israeli politics for decades and served as president of the nation from 2007 to 2014.
White House photographer Pete Souza also caught the exchange:
Obama delivered a eulogy at Friday’s ceremony, honoring Peres for his role in the founding of Israel as well as his commitment to the Middle East peace process.
“Shimon Peres reminds us that the State of Israel, like the United States of America, was not built by cynics,” he said. “We exist because people before us refused to be constrained by the past or the difficulties of the present. And Shimon Peres was never cynical.”
He also noted the “unfinished business” of peace between Israel and Palestine.
“We gather here in the knowledge that Shimon never saw his dream of peace fulfilled,” Obama said. “The region is going through a chaotic time. Threats are ever present. And yet, he did not stop dreaming, and he did not stop working.”
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