Actor Robert De Niro congratulates Israeli President Peres on his 90th birthday.

JERUSALEM (JUNE 18, 2013) (POOL) -  Double Oscar winner Robert De Niro congratulated Israeli PresidentShimon Peres on Tuesday (June 18) at the start of a 24-hour visit to Jerusalem to attend Peres' 90th birthday celebrations.

"I wanted to come and also bring my son," said De Niro who won Oscars for his lead role in "Raging Bull" and his supporting turn in "The Godfather: Part II."

Peres said, "There is a great deal of admiration for you," to which De Niro replied, "We do for you."

"You got the Oscar but you also got the hearts of the people. And I think that you took this occasion very seriously and profoundly and people know how to appreciate it. And thank you for coming," Peres said.

A few thousand guests are expected to attend the birthday celebrations coinciding with the Israeli Presidential Conference, including past and present heads of states, diplomats, executives of the world's biggest technology companies, academics, Nobel Prize laureates and celebrities.