World: Israel’s parliament elected the even-keeled Labour veteran Isaac Herzog as its 11th president on Wednesday, a vote that came as opposition lawmakers scrambled to forge a coalition to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu.
Isaac, 60 former head of the Israeli labour party, outscored former headmistress Miriam Peretz to replace Reuven Rivlin who was elected in 2014 to the largely ceremonial position decided by the parliament, or Knesset. The scion of a prominent Zionist family is scheduled to take charge from next month after Reuven Rivlin exits office after ruling for 7 years.
“We need to join forces, we need to unite, we need to work together to succeed and win because it is either us or him (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) and we will prevail. We will attack and prevail,” the newly elected president said.
Wednesday’s presidential vote came as Israeli politicians from across the spectrum were holding 11th-hour negotiations to cobble together a new administration aimed at ending Prime Minister Netanyahu’s 12 straight years in office.
Issacs’s father Chaim Herzog was Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations before being elected president. His uncle, Abba Eban, was Israel’s first foreign minister and ambassador to the United Nations and the United States. His grandfather was the country’s first chief rabbi.
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