Saskatoon woman reflects on meeting man called a 'founding father of Israel'

A Saskatoon woman is reflecting on the time her young son nearly caused an international incident as the world mourns the death of former Israeli president Shimon Peres, who died Wednesday at 93.
 
Heather Fenyes met Peres in 1994, right around the time of the Oslo Accords, which won the then-foreign minister a Nobel Peace Prize.
 
“And my son, who was just two, gave Peres a little punch in his face. And Peres punched him back and this little back-and-forth ensued,” she said with a chuckle.
 
Fenyes said the scene drew a lot of laughs from media at the event.
 
“They were joking that this man had managed to negotiate peace and accord with so many people within the nation and he couldn’t seem to get it right with a little two-year-old boy,” she said. “It was hilarious and adorable and a moment I’ll never forget.
 
Fenyes said she was in Israel on Sept. 13, when Peres suffered a stroke.
 
“I found it profoundly emotional and poignant and almost felt honoured to be close to him at the time,” she said.
 
As world leaders prepare to attend Peres’ funeral in Jerusalem on Friday, Fenyes said she hopes they’ll reflect on Peres’ transition from hawkish defence minister in his early career to leading advocate for the peace process between Israel and Palestine.
 
“I think it speaks to something really important and fundamental that we can’t lose as human beings: the ability to constantly be analysing,” she said.