Veteran politician Herzog elected 11th Prez of Israel

Veteran Israeli politician Isaac Herzog will be the Jewish nation''s new president after his overwhelming victory in a secret ballot held in Parliament, it was announced on Wednesday.

The 60-year-old former Labor leader will be the first Israeli President who is the son of a former president. His father Chaim Herzog served as Israel''s Head of State between 1983 and



1993.

Herzog won the support of an overwhelming 87 lawmakers in the 120-member Knesset (parliament) on Tuesday to defeat his rival Miriam Peretz and become the 11th President of Israel.

In the secret election, in which all 120 lawmakers were eligible to cast votes, three abstained, three votes were disqualified and one lawmaker did not vote, The Times of Israel reported.