Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued the following statement on the passing of Bernard Lewis:
"Bernard Lewis was one of the great scholars of Islam and the Middle East in our time. We will be forever grateful for his robust defense of Israel. I will always feel privileged to have witnessed firsthand his extraordinary erudition and I gleaned invaluable insights from our many meetings over the years. I was also deeply moved by his wide ranging conversations with my late father, Professor Ben Zion Netanyahu. Professor Lewis's wisdom will continue to guide us for years to come."