Kofi Annan
Kofi AnnanFlash 90

Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan died on Saturday at age 80.

Annan served as Secretary General between 1997 and 2006. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

In 2004, after archterrorist Yasser Arafat's death, Annan held a special meeting in the UN. The meeting included a "moment of silence."

Responding to his death, Israel's Foreign Ministry called Annan one of the "pillars" of "multilateral diplomacy," and said he "devoted his life to achieving peace, reducing poverty, and fighting child morbidity."

During his term, Annan opposed attempts to de-legitimize Israel, as well as attempts to deny the Holocaust. he supported the UN initiative to set an international Holocaust remembrance day.

"Kofi Annan devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful place through his compassion and dedication to service," US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said. "He worked tirelessly to unite us and never stopped fighting for the dignity of every person."

"We join the entire United Nations and diplomatic community in celebrating his life and lifting the Annan family up in love and prayers."

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said, "We will remember him as having been very active in the international arena and as someone who fought anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. We send our condolences to his widow and his family."