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.
Knesset member
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
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
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
Other websites