Former Labor leader Isaac Herzog, Israel's new president

“Sometimes the forecasts come true and logic is imposed even in Parliament,” they summed up this Wednesday in the Knesset after he elected former Labor leader Isaac Herzog (60) as the eleventh president of Israel following the path of his father, Haim Herzog, who served as president from 1983 to 1993.

In the parliamentary vote held this Wednesday in the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, Herzog has achieved the support of 87 deputies while Miriam Peretz was left with only 26. Seven legislators abstained. Peretz, an educator with no political experience, is one of the most popular women in Israel after losing two children during military service and becoming a symbol of internal unity.

Herzog replaces Reuven Rivlin after seven years in a basically representative and symbolic position. All in all, the presidency plays an important role in international and, above all, internal relations between the different sectors of society.. In the last two years with four elections without any majority in a polarized country, Rivlin has also had to exhibit political skills when ordering the formation of the Government.

“It is with great emotion that I welcome and accept the election to the Knesset and the enormous responsibility of being the 11th president.. I accept the privilege of serving all Israelis,” said Herzog, who currently heads the Jewish Agency (Sojnut).

Herzog, who defined his rival on Wednesday as a “heroine and inspiration for the people of Israel” in reference to the death of two of his sons in the Army, was effusively congratulated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the opposition leader, the centrist Yair Lapid who is immersed in a time trial to reach a government agreement with seven other parties.

“I will work with any government and any prime minister,” Herzog told them, adding: “Over the past two decades I have experienced up close the extraordinary variety of the Israeli social puzzle with all its spiritual richness, cultural depth, critical thinking, tradition and innovation.” .

“I was lucky enough to face an admirable person who I appreciate very much. Herzog is already my president and that of all Israelis”, reacts Peretz who has not been able to become the first woman elected to the position in Israel. This Moroccan-born woman would have won if the verdict was in the hands of the population and not the 120 deputies, as various polls have shown.

After failing in his ambition to be prime minister -he lost in the 2015 elections to Netanyahu-, Herzog manages to be the number 1 citizen of Israel. Many believe that he was born for this position that requires diplomacy, consensus and a search for conciliation.

A member of a well-known family in the social and political elite and with extensive experience in the Knesset, Bugi made the biggest difference in a presidential election after numerous lawmakers in the right-wing and religious bloc also gave him their vote on the sidelines of guaranteed support in the center left.

Beyond his excellent relations with world leaders and with all currents of Judaism, Herzog's service record made him a natural and favorite candidate.. This former officer in military intelligence and lawyer from Tel Aviv was secretary of the Ehud Barak government in 1999, deputy for 15 years, minister of Social Affairs, Tourism and Housing, leader of Labor and head of the opposition. In 2018, he left the parliamentary arena after being named president of the most important Jewish organization in the world.. Sochnut was created to create a national home for the Jewish people.. We have fulfilled this dream and have a very successful Jewish and democratic state.. We cannot take the existence of Israel for granted, but we must fight for it daily,” the leader who advocates negotiation with the Palestinians under the two-state formula told EL MUNDO a year ago.

political crisis

Herzog continues the family tradition: son of the former ambassador to the UN and sixth president of Israel, grandson of Israel's first Ashkenazid Chief Rabbi, Isaac Halevi Herzog and nephew of the diplomat and foreign minister, Abba Eban.

“We must defend the international position of Israel and its good name in the family of nations, fight against anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel and preserve the pillars of our democracy,” he said before leaving the Knesset on a dream day and for which was prepared years ago.

Rivlin's presidency, which will end on July 9, has been marked by his transcendental speech in 2015 warning about social fragmentation into four sectors (secular, religious, ultra-Orthodox and Arab), his attempts to reduce the growing internal tensions and his handling of the unprecedented political crisis in the last two years.

Rivlin, a conservative loved more by the left and the Arab sector than by the right, is openly at odds with Netanyahu. In fact, he tried to avoid his election in 2014 despite the fact that both belong to Likud.

With excellent relations with Herzog and Peretz and like a large part of the deputies, Netanyahu did not reveal who he was going to vote for this Wednesday, although many on the right would have wanted him to publicly support Peretz, more identified with the bases on the right and periphery against the Tel Aviv Labor “elitist”. In his case, the presidential election may be crucial in the long term, since if his corruption trial ends in conviction, he could consider asking the president for clemency.. Although what is most urgent for Netanyahu now is to prevent Lapid from forming his heterogeneous coalition and throwing him out of power after 12 years in a row.