Shimon Peres Thanks Philip Habib, Middle Eastern Envoy, for "much desired peace" - Historic!

1p typed letter signed by Shimon Peres (1923-2016), then Israeli Labor Party Chairman and in between terms as Israeli Prime Minister, as "Shimon Peres" at center. Written in Tel Aviv, Israel on September 5, 1982. On white stationery with "Shimon Peres / Chairman / Israel Labour [sic] Party" letterhead. Several typographical errors have been modified with correction fluid. Expected light paper folds, else near fine. 8.375" x 10.875". Accompanied by the original transmittal envelope addressed in part to "His Excellency Mr. Philip Habib".

In August 1982, American career diplomat Philip Habib (1920-1992) had successfully negotiated the peaceful relocation of Palestinian Liberation Organization combatants and civilian refugees from southern Lebanon, thus diffusing much of the tension precipitating the 1982 Lebanon War. In June 1982, Israeli forces had invaded Lebanon, where the PLO had been launching attacks which killed civilians on both sides of the border. Israeli politician Shimon Peres wrote to Habib a month after the PLO withdrawal.

In part: "Upon the conclusion of your present mission in the Middle East, I would like to express to you my sentiments of profound appreciation. You have come to our region in the midst of a very complex situation and you are leaving it having advanced all those involved forward on the road to the much desired peace. You have been able to accomplish this step primarily because of your wisdom, your right appreciation of the situation, your patience and unlimited capability. You have indeed achieved a great feat on the personal level as well as for your country, for the Middle East and for peace-loving people throughout the world. In the pages of the history of the Middle East, replete with wars, your mission will have a very important impact…"

President Reagan had called Philip Habib out of retirement in 1981 to undertake what Peres termed his "present mission…in the midst of a very complex situation." In his role as Special Ambassador of the United States, Habib had brokered a nine-month-long ceasefire, from July 1981 to June 1982, in Lebanon. He was also instrumental in coordinating the withdrawal of the PLO in Lebanon to North Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, effectively ending the Israeli siege of Beirut. Habib's efforts resulted in his 1982 nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Shimon Peres would be nominated for his own Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, in acknowledgement for his work in negotiating the Oslo Accords with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat.

Peres once said in 1997, "Peace is very much like love. It is a romantic process—you have to be living it, you have to invest in it, you have to trust it. As you cannot impose love, so you cannot impose peace." A member of the Israeli Labor Party between 1968-2005, Peres served as acting Prime Minister of Israel in 1977 and 1995, and he was later elected to the office in 1984. Peres served as President of Israel between 2007-2014. Philip Habib joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1949, eventually serving in South Korea, South Vietnam, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Canada, and New Zealand.

Habib's diplomatic experience in the Middle East was also considerable. As Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, Habib had worked with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1977, and his negotiations paved the way for Jimmy Carter's Camp David Accords. The New York Times eulogized Habib as "the outstanding professional diplomat of his generation in the United States."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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