She has been honored with Emmy, Grammy, Tony, Oscar, Peabody and Golden Globe awards. She is well known, respected and has an incredible voice. And her voice is heard everywhere, from the realm of song to politics. This June, Barbra Streisand will come to Israel to sing in honor of President Shimon Peres’ 90th birthday.

Many world leaders and former leaders have a penchant for fancy and glamorous birthdays. Former president of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev threw himself a star-studded 80th birthday party in London, with Sharon Stone and Kevin Spacey among the guests. Ramzan Akhmadovich Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic, marked his birthday with an event attended by Kevin Costner, Hilary Swank and violinist Vanessa Mae, who was paid simply to add spice to the party.

Peres, however, does not need to pay anyone; he just needs to pick up the phone. Participation in the birthday festivities organized by the president of Israel is a badge of honor, both for the inviter and the invitee. The etiquette for the event is the same, as is the size of the ego. However, when you’re talking about Shimon Peres, the public sees things differently, especially because Peres is the only person in Israel today who, with a single conversation, can bring people to Israel who would otherwise never come on their own. Peres’ image around the world is Israel’s strength, and not vice versa.

He celebrated his 80th birthday (in 2003) with much pomp and circumstance. There were two days of festivities in which former US President Bill and [then future, now] former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton participated, as did Mikhail Gorbachev and hundreds of other guests from Israel and around the world. The celebrations reached their peak at the gala held at the Fredric R. Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv. Close to 1,000 police officers secured the event, at which world-class Israeli artists appeared as well as Enrico Macias and the Greek singer Glykeria. This tour de force took place even before Shimon Peres became president. In fact, since being elected, he has grown in stature around the world, and Peres has become an icon and asset. The world, for the most part, looks at Peres and respects him for who he is and what he represents. In 2008, Queen Elizabeth knighted him; a year ago, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.