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Isaac Herzog elected Israel’s next president

With the support of an historic majority of 87 parliamentarians, Jewish Agency chair Isaac Herzog has been elected Israel’s 11th president.

Isaac Herzog
Israeli presidential candidate Isaac Herzog (L) shakes hands with Knesset speaker Yariv Levin after he was elected president during a special parliament session in Jerusalem on June 2, 2021. — RONEN ZVULUN/AFP via Getty Images

Jewish Agency chairman Isaac Herzog was elected today by the Knesset to be Israel’s 11th president. In a secret ballot in the Knesset plenum, 87 parliamentarians voted for Herzog. His opponent, Israel Prize-winning educator Miriam Peretz, received 26 votes. Three legislators abstained. Herzog's was the largest victory in any presidential election in the country’s history. He will enter office on July 9, when the term of incumbent President Reuven Rivlin ends.

Thanking the parliamentarians who voted for him, Herzog said it would be an honor to serve all the people of Israel. Addressing his opponent, the mother of two soldiers killed in action, Herzog called her a hero and an inspiration.

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