Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at a news conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, May 11, 2009. Photo: Reuters / Amr Abdallah Dalsh.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed sadness on Tuesday over the death of 91-year-old ex-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

“On behalf of the citizens and government of Israel, I would like to express deep sorrow on the passing of President Hosni Mubarak,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “President Mubarak, my personal friend, was a leader who led his people to peace and security, to peace with Israel.”

“I met with him many times,” the Israeli leader added. “I was impressed by his commitment; we will continue to follow this common path. I would like to send condolences to [Egyptian] President A-Sisi, to the Mubarak family, and to the Egyptian people.”

On behalf of the citizens and Government of Israel, I would like to express deep sorrow on the passing of President Hosni Mubarak. President Mubarak, my personal friend, was a leader who led his people to peace and security, to peace with Israel. pic.twitter.com/J6FfCp9iPG

— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 25, 2020

Mubarak, who was dedicated to regional stability but became more and more controversial at home as his three-decade rule dragged on, was widely respected in Israel for his preservation of the peace treaty signed in 1979 by his assassinated predecessor Anwar Sadat.

The Israeli Embassy in Cairo also acknowledged Mubarak’s death, tweeting in Arabic, “The Embassy of the State of Israel in Egypt mourns with great sorrow the former President of the Republic, Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, and the embassy extends its sincere condolences to his family and the Egyptian people.”

According to the Wafa news agency, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday praised Mubarak for “supporting the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people.”

Abbas, the report said, “mourned [Mubarak’s passing] with great sadness and sorrow.”