Just hours before the inauguration ceremony of US President-elect Barack Obama in Washington Tuesday, President Shimon Peres issued a special statement praising the incoming leader. Obama, he said, was the choice of all of mankind and will be more successful than his predecessors in resolving Middle Eastern conflicts.
"Today is a great day not only for the United States of America, but for the entire world," Peres began his statement. "Obama was elected by the United States, but as a matter of fact, he was chosen by the whole of humankind.