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.

"I will be the president of everyone," Herzog said, adding that he would lend "an attentive ear to every position and respect every person,” while also working to “identify the lines that connect us and build bridges of agreement in order to bring together even the furthest apart, here within Israel and with our brothers and sisters in the diaspora.”

Shortly after the election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "I congratulate Isaac Herzog on his election as president and wish him great success in the name of the citizens of Israel. I thank Miriam Peretz for her honorable candidacy and I am certain she will continue to contribute to Israeli society, as she has done all her life."