“Facing Tomorrow” conference, the fifth in Israel's Presidential Conference series, began Tuesday with the celebration of President Shimon Peres’s 90th birthday in Jerusalem.
The traditional 5th Presidential Conference kicked off in attendance of 2,500 people including former US President Bill Clinton, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Prince Albert of Monaco, famous Hollywood actors and actresses Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Diva Barbara Streisand and many other international scholars, social activists, poets, scientists, artists, clergy, entrepreneurs, economists, industrialists and philanthropists.
While Blair celebrated Peres's birthday in Hebrew, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "You are the man of peace and foresight."
Clinton also praised Peres by saying he was the social Einstein of the world.
US President Barack Obama, former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon and U2's Bono sent video messages celebrating Peres's birthday.
"We long for peace with our neighbors. The yesterday between us and the Palestinians is full of sadness. I believe that the Israel of tomorrow and the Palestine of tomorrow can offer our children a ray of hope," Peres told a cheerful crowd.
Many speakers in the fields of geopolitics, economy, environment, culture, identity, education and new media will deliver speeches for three days in the presidential conference.
