The Israeli Knesset on Tuesday elected Likud lawmaker Reuven Rivlin as the country's new president, succeeding Shimon Peres whose term in office will end in July.
Rivlin was declared the self-proclaimed Jewish state's tenth president after he defeated the Hatnuah Party's Meir Sheetrit by 63 to 53 votes in a run-off poll.
Neither candidate had managed to secure the 61 votes needed to win the post outright in a first round of voting held earlier Tuesday.
Three other candidates – former Knesset speaker Dalia Itzik, former Supreme Court justice Dalia Dorner, and Nobel laureate Dan Shechtman – were all knocked out of the race.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the newly-elected leader.
"I am looking forward to work together with Rivlin in his new position in order to unite the people of Israel," Netayhau said in a statement.
Born September 9, 1939, Rivlin, a lawyer by profession, has served as Knesset member eight times. From 2001 to 2003, he served as communications minister.
In 2009, Rivlin was elected Knesset speaker, winning 90 votes out of 120.
He is known for his staunch opposition to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the so-called two-state solution. He once said that he "would rather accept Palestinians as Israeli citizens than a future two-state peace solution."
The post of Israeli president is a ceremonial one, generally limited to accepting the credentials of foreign diplomats, receiving foreign guests and granting amnesties.
The president also mandates the party that wins a majority of Knesset seats with forming a government.
Rivlin succeeds veteran politician Shimon Peres, whose seven-year term is set to expire next month.
By Anees Barghouthy
englishnews@aa.com.tr
http://www.aa.com.tr/en
