S&D Group vice-president for foreign affairs Victor Boştinaru said:

 "Shimon Peres, born in Poland, in a village that you find today in Belarus, is one of the founding fathers and symbols of modern Israel.
 
"He was a political giant and a peace hero, one of the wisest politicians and human beings I have ever known.
 
"His passing away is a huge loss for Israel, but also for progressive politics all across the world.
 
"It is also the strongest possible reminder to all of us that violence and hatred between Israelis and Palestinians, between Jews and Arabs, cannot be accepted and tolerated as the normality in the Middle East.
 
"We mourn him today and promise to keep his spirit alive through fighting for peace in the Middle East and through protecting Jewish communities in Europe and beyond."