Some 80 world leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former prime minister Stephen Harper are expected to arrive in Israel for the funeral of Shimon Peres who died on Wednesday.
Also traveling to Israel are former prime minister Jean Chrétien, Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion, and Rona Ambrose, leader of the Official Opposition.
Former Cabinet member Stockwell Day, and Sen. Linda Frum are also expected to attend.
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On Thursday, former U.S. president Bill Clinton joined throngs of Israelis to pay their respects. Clinton arrived in Israel on Thursday morning and asked to be taken directly to view the casket of Israel’s ninth president lying in state at the Knesset all day. The funeral is scheduled for Friday morning.
Thousands of Israelis are expected to view the casket.
Prior to opening the viewing to the public, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and opposition leader Isaac Herzog lay wreaths beside the coffin in a private ceremony.
Peres died early Wednesday at 93, two weeks after suffering a massive stroke. It was under the auspices of the Clinton administration that Peres, the late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat reached the Oslo peace accords in 1993, for which the trio shared the Nobel Peace Prize.
Clinton arrived without his wife, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, despite reports Wednesday that originated with the Foreign Ministry that the candidate also would attend the funeral. The Clinton campaign told news outlets late Wednesday that she would not be attending. Republican nominee Donald Trump also is not planning to attend the funeral.
