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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Israel MPs elect Reuven Rivlin as president | Israel MPs elect Reuven Rivlin as president |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Israeli parliament has elected veteran Likud lawmaker Reuven Rivlin as the country's next president. | The Israeli parliament has elected veteran Likud lawmaker Reuven Rivlin as the country's next president. |
| Mr Rivlin, a former parliamentary speaker and Cabinet minister, defeated long-time MP Meir Sheetrit, by 63 to 53 in a secret run-off ballot. | |
| He will succeed Shimon Peres, 90, who ends his seven-year term in July. | He will succeed Shimon Peres, 90, who ends his seven-year term in July. |
| The Israeli president occupies a largely ceremonial position and has no formal role in peace talks with the Palestinians. | The Israeli president occupies a largely ceremonial position and has no formal role in peace talks with the Palestinians. |
| Mr Rivlin, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, will become Israel's 10th president. | |
| He won when voting on Tuesday went to a second round. | |
| The 74-year-old opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, putting him at odds with the platform adopted by Mr Netanyahu. | |
| He is also a supporter of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, another central issue in the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians. | |
| Reuven Rivlin | |
| Congratulating Mr Rivlin on Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu cited their common history in right-wing politics. | |
| "I know you will do your utmost as president to meet the two-fold mission of unifying the nation and showing unity in the face of external challenges," the PM is quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. | |
| "I promise, as a prime minister from a similar background, to work with you." | |
| Observers say Mr Peres, a Nobel peace laureate who is popular among many Israelis, will be a hard act to follow. | |
| Mr Rivlin, who will be sworn in on 24 July, is expected to shift the presidency's focus from international affairs to more domestic matters. |