Isaac Herzog

President of Israel

Isaac Herzog, Hebrew: יצחק הרצוג , sometimes known as Yitzhak Herzog, (born 22 September 1960) is an Israeli politician of HaAvoda (Labor Party). Herzog has been the President of Israel since 2021. He is the first Israeli president born after the establishment of the state of Israel. He is also the first son of an Israeli president to become president himself. From 2018 until 2021, he was chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Herzog was a member of Knesset, the Israeli parliament from 2003 until 2018. From 2013 until 2018, he was the Leader of the Opposition. He was born in Tel Aviv.


Isaac Herzog
יצחק הרצוג
Official portrait, 2021
11th President of Israel
Assumed office
7 July 2021
Prime MinisterNaftali Bennett
Yair Lapid
Benjamin Netanyahu (designate)
Preceded byReuven Rivlin
Leader of the Opposition
In office
25 November 2013 – 31 July 2018
Preceded byShelly Yachimovich
Succeeded byTzipi Livni
Minister of Welfare and Social Services
In office
21 March 2007 – 17 January 2011
Prime MinisterEhud Olmert
Benjamin Netanyahu
Preceded byEhud Olmert
Succeeded byMoshe Kahlon
Minister of Diaspora, Society and the
Fight Against Antisemitism
In office
21 March 2007 – 31 March 2009
Prime MinisterEhud Olmert
Preceded byNatan Sharansky
Succeeded byYuli-Yoel Edelstein
Minister of Tourism
In office
4 May 2006 – 21 March 2007
Prime MinisterEhud Olmert
Preceded byAvraham Hirschson
Succeeded byYitzhak Aharonovich
Minister of Housing and Construction
In office
10 January 2005 – 23 November 2005
Prime MinisterAriel Sharon
Preceded byTzipi Livni
Succeeded byZe'ev Boim
Faction represented in the Knesset
2003–2015Labor Party
2015–2018Zionist Union
Other roles
2018–2021Chairman of the Jewish Agency
Personal details
Born (1960-09-22) 22 September 1960 (age 64)
Tel Aviv, Israel
Spouse(s)Michal Herzog
RelativesChaim Herzog (father)

Knesset member

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Herzog was a Member of Knesset from 2003 until June 2018. From 2013 till July 2017 he was leader of HaAvoda. From 2015 till July 2017 he was also leader of HaMahaneh HaTziyoni ("The Zionist Union"), together with Tzipi Livni of HaTnu'a (still leading). Because the new HaAvoda leader Avi Gabbay is not a Knesset member, Herzog continued leading the Knesset as Leader of the Opposition.

He has held several government positions:

  • Minister of Housing and Construction in 2005
  • Minister of Tourism in 2006-2007
  • Minister of Diaspora, Society and the Fight against Antisemitism in 2007-2009
  • Minister of Welfare and Social Services in 2007-2011

In June 2018, Herzog was unanimously elected chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, for which he left the Knesset and Israeli politics [1]

Presidency

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In May 2021, Herzog announced his candidacy for President of Israel for the 2021 election.[2] He was elected president on 2 June 2021, defeating educator Miriam Peretz.[3] He took office on 7 July 2021.

Personal life

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Herzog is the son of former president of Israel Chaim Herzog and social activist Aura Ambache.

He studied law at Tel Aviv University and worked as a lawyer at Herzog, Fox & Ne'eman, where his father was one of the founders.

References

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  1. "Leadership". Jewish Agency for Israel. Retrieved 29 October 2018..
  2. "המועמדים לבחירות לנשיאות: בוז'י הרצוג ומרים פרץ". ynet (in Hebrew). 2021-05-19. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  3. "Issac Herzog elected 11th President of Israel in wide margin". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2 June 2021.

Other websites

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