Isaac Herzog elected new President of Israel

Tel Aviv, June 02: Isaac Herzog has been elected the new president of Israel. His father Chaim Herzog was the sixth president of Israel.

In an anonymous vote held among the 120 members of the Knesset or parliament, Herzog was elected President. Herzog, 60 is a former head of the Israel's Labour Party and opposition leader who unsuccessfully ran against Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu in 2013. He will succeed Reuven Rivlin, who will be leaving office next month. Herzog and Miriam Peretz were in the race for President.

The President is a largely ceremonial head of state and is taken with tapping a political party leader to form governing coalitions after the parliamentary polls. Further the President also has the power to grant pardons.

Israel has held four national elections in two years. Prime Minister Netanyahu's opponents were given a midnight deadline on Wednesday to put together a new coalition government. If they fail then the country will witness another election.