Shimon Peres Is Crushing on Mark Zuckerberg
The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg posted the first part of his sit-down with former Israeli President Shimon Peres, and got him to expound a bit on Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, or as Goldberg irreverently describes him, "the person who may be [Peres's] favorite Jew in the world." Peres has been enthusiastic in his embrace of Facebook, which is a big step since two years ago when he asked Goldberg "What is the name of the Jewish boy with the Facebook? Zuckerberger?" Since then, he's visited the Facebook campus. Goldberg writes:
Peres has gotten his own Facebook page, and has developed an elaborate theory of Zuckerberg, that he is a symbol of both Jewish ingenuity and the soaring spirit of American individual achievement. What he's looking for in Israel, in its energetic hi-tech sector, is the next Zuckerberg, he suggests. Science, creativity, and intellect are what will save Israel, he believes -- as opposed to holding on to specific pieces of territory.
The interview is filled with insight, and not just about Peres' favorite American Jewish tech entrepreneurs. (He's also a fan of the "nice boy" from Google, Sergey Brin, who is 38 years old.)
RELATED: The Problem with Facebook Diplomacy
Check out the whole thing on Goldberg's Atlantic blog.
