(1923- ) A Jewish Israeli political figure of Polish origin. Peres immigrated to Palestine in 1932. He was a member of the Jewish paramilitary group Haganah (the precursor to the Israeli army) and, after the establishment of Israel in 1948, held several positions in the Ministry of Defense. Throughout his political career, he has been a member of four political parties: Rafi, Alignment, Labor and Kadima. He was first elected to the Israeli parliament in 1959 and has almost continually held various governmental positions, including Prime Minister from 1984-1986 and 1995-1996 and Foreign Minister from 1986-1988, 1992-1995 and 2001-2002. Along with Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Peres received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his role in the signing of the Oslo Accords. In 1996, he established the Peres Center for Peace to further the peace process through economic and social cooperation with the Palestinians. In 2005, Peres left the Labor party in support of Kadima, the new political party formed by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. In June 2007, Peres was elected the ninth President of the State of Israel. See "President Shimon Peres" The President of the State of Israel. 3 October 2011. http://www.knesset.gov.il/president/eng/main_eng.htm.  http://www.justvision.org/glossary/peres-shimon