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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Shimon Peres attending the election for a new president, in the Knesset on Wednesday. (Reuters)
Last update - 20:54 13/06/2007
President-elect Shimon Peres: My job is to unite Israeli society
By Shahar Ilan and Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondents

Vice Premier Shimon Peres was elected Israel's ninth president Wednesday, capping a six-decade political career in which he has held every senior government post.

He will be sworn into office on July 15, for a seven-year term, replacing the disgraced Moshe Katsav, who faces multiple allegations of sexual assault against female staffers.

Speaking at the Knesset after the final round of voting, the beaming 83-year-old thanked his family and the lawmakers who supported him and pledged to "give my all to serve Israel."
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He singled out three colleagues - David Ben-Gurion, Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon.

Peres said he saw his new role as a unifier of Israel's fractured society.

"The president's role is not to deal with politics and partisanship, but to represent what unites us in a strong voice," he said.

"A president must represent the people's desire to be a united nation," he said. "The Knesset chose to prove today that elected figures represent the people."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert paid tribute to his vice premier, saying that, "Israel has been waiting hopefully for the election of Peres as president."

Peres won 86 votes in a second round ballot after his two rivals in the race threw their support to him. In the first round, he fell three votes shy of the 61 needed to clinch the presidency.

Minutes after the first round of balloting was announced, with Peres taking 58 votes to 37 for Likud challenger Reuven Rivlin and 21 for Labor MK Collette Avital, Avital called an impromptu news conference to announce that she had decided to pull out of the race and throw her support to Peres. Soon after, Rivlin followed suit.

Despite Peres' record as a Nobel laureate, former prime minister, defense minister, protege of David Ben-Gurion and founder of Israel's nuclear program, much of his political legacy was still riding on the vote, following a string of electoral defeats going back decades.

Peres' victory followed an especially painful defeat seven years ago at the hands of then-Likud MK Moshe Katsav. On the eve of the vote, Peres was said to have been assured by no less than 66 lawmakers that they would vote for him. But when the votes were counted in a secret ballot, 63 MKs had voted for Katsav and only 57 for Peres.

Katsav, who now faces the possibility of rape and sexual assault charges, has suspended himself from presidential duties.

Rivlin, a former speaker of the Knesset who enjoys broad popularity in the house, was until recently seen as the clear favorite in the race. But a late surge by Peres, courting the endorsement of ultra-Orthodox spiritual leaders and other key figures, closed the gap.

Avital, who first came to public prominence as Israel's consul-general in New York, was the first woman to mount a serious challenge for the presidency.

Among Peres' challenges in winning the presidency was his defection from the Labor Party prior to elections last year, a move which cost him his traditional power base. Peres left the party following his 2005 defeat by Amir Peretz for the position of Labor chairman. Peres joined the Kadima faction founded by then-prime minister Ariel Sharon.

The presidential race was made particularly tense by the position of the Labor faction as potential kingmaker. But when Labor's Avital endorsed Peres after the first round, his victory was all but guaranteed.

On the morning of the election, Maariv daily's front page was bordered by individual portraits of Peres detailing each one of his eight electoral defeats ranging back to the early 1970s.

In the early phase of the current campaign, Peres, maligned by the press as a serial loser, sought in vain to have the Knesset vote take place openly, and not by secret ballot.

"Internationally, he is the most well known Israeli in the world today. He is from the founding generation and he is a symbol for us," said Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog of Labor on Wednesday. "For him, this is the closing of a circle.
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  1.   The problem 08:10  |  Esther 13/06/07
  2.   Rivlin just what we need another cronnie from the Likud 09:47  |  SJ 13/06/07
  3.   PERES MUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE COUNTRY REMAIN ALOSER 09:59  |  paul harris 13/06/07
  4.   Robot Pesident. 10:07  |  Colin 13/06/07
  5.   Ugly rabble-rouser Rivlin 10:20  |  Moshe 13/06/07
  6.   Quoting from SJ #2 10:59  |  Esther 13/06/07
  7.   Shas M.Ks say, "our instructons were ambiguous`. 11:13  |  redmike 13/06/07
  8.   race 11:43  |  c 13/06/07
  9.   race 11:48  |  colin 13/06/07
  10.   We deserve Peres 12:58  |  Kate 13/06/07
  11.   #9 - it is a secret ballot. how would someone know you delivered 13:05  |  redmike 13/06/07
  12.   Hope is some of them or all will finally ....retire 13:32  |  Sal 13/06/07
  13.   I`ll hope for Peres 13:36  |  philbenk 13/06/07
  14.   To give presidency to a man, who created IL-PA disaster is gross! 13:47  |  Alicia 13/06/07
  15.   A serious woman candidate for pres.... 14:07  |  Esther 13/06/07
  16.   Kol HaKavod 14:22  |  SDN 13/06/07
  17.   Peres our new President 14:24  |  Big Al 13/06/07
  18.   double mess 14:26  |  lee 13/06/07
  19.   PRESIDENT PERES 14:27  |  RICHARD COHEN 13/06/07
  20.   Ah well, congrats Peres! 14:31  |  Esther 13/06/07
  21.   Peres Centre for Peace organises anti-Israel conference! 14:34  |  Nannette 13/06/07
  22.   THIS MUST BE SOME KIND OF JOKE 14:35  |  paul harris 13/06/07
  23.   Mazal Tov President Peres! 14:37  |  Bleiberg 13/06/07
  24.   Shimon Peres 14:40  |  Hy Klein 13/06/07
  25.   Peres is a weak minded, myopic liberal.Israel needs Netanyahu! 14:46  |  Robert Blum 13/06/07
  26.   How much dammage can he do now? 14:48  |  Avraham 13/06/07
  27.   No more rapes 14:48  |  Charlie 13/06/07
  28.   How Sad 14:50  |  Lauren Perske 13/06/07
  29.   It should have been Bibi 14:51  |  GSW 13/06/07
  30.   congratulations Peres 15:08  |  SD 13/06/07
  31.   SAD: Oslo criminal replaces rapist as Israeli President 15:08  |  Dudu 13/06/07
  32.   Dear mr. Peres: Good luck with the last attempt 15:15  |  John 13/06/07
  33.   Shimon Peres 15:27  |  The new world 13/06/07
  34.   President Peres & President Hillary C. ? 15:30  |  LaGrande 13/06/07
  35.   IN FACE OF ACCUSATIONS THAT HE MASTERMINDED RABIN ASSASINATION,PE 15:38  |  RES SHOULD WTHDRAW 13/06/07
  36.   A fitting end to a sad tale 15:38  |  What`s in a name 13/06/07
  37.   Yes!!!!! Mazal tov, Shimon! 15:40  |  Tal 13/06/07
  38.   Oslo-criminal for President,no wonder Israel weaker than Hamas 15:40  |  Absolute Sweden 13/06/07
  39.   Peres, Ugh! 15:45  |  Martin 13/06/07
  40.   Nannette #21 15:54  |  reuben jacobs 13/06/07
  41.   Only in Israel 16:02  |  Alex 13/06/07
  42.   Shimon Peres wins?? Oi voy, bad omen! 16:05  |  Joseph 13/06/07
  43.   Mazal Tov Shimon Peres 16:07  |  colman 13/06/07
  44.   Peres for President 16:12  |  Roslyn 13/06/07
  45.   Does this mean Peres has been promoted to a position... 16:13  |  bat yam 13/06/07
  46.   Going Backwards Instead of Forward 16:14  |  Tony Anthony 13/06/07
  47.   HE deserved it. 16:14  |  Massoud Levy 13/06/07
  48.   An end to Rapist Presidents 16:16  |  Avi 13/06/07
  49.   Peres is not President the next General Elections Will Prove That 16:20  |  Shepherd 13/06/07
  50.   32# Joseph - Wrong.. 16:22  |  Akram Zekaria 13/06/07
  51.   AND THE LOSER NOW IS... THE STATE OF ISRAEL)))))))))) 16:32  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 13/06/07
  52.   Congratulations, you deserve it 16:39  |  Simon Mohammed 13/06/07
  53.   Why negative comments? 16:40  |  L A 13/06/07
  54.   Thank you Reuvan & Collette 16:43  |  Kate 13/06/07
  55.   Barak at Labor and Peres at Presidency. Good! 16:44  |  Fortuna Benmayor 13/06/07
  56.   Help needed 16:49  |  Eric Wilson 13/06/07
  57.   A man who spent his life building the State of Israel 16:50  |  Margie 13/06/07
  58.   Shimon Peres elected Israel`s ninth president 16:57  |  Suzy 13/06/07
  59.   Congratulations Peres! You deserve it! 16:58  |  oliver 13/06/07
  60.   Thankfully as President, Peres can do no more damage to Israel 16:59  |  pace306 13/06/07
  61.   More help needed 17:02  |  Eric Wilson 13/06/07
  62.   re;41why negative comments? 17:03  |  yahn goodey 13/06/07
  63.   election 17:05  |  colin 13/06/07
  64.   Contemplate 17:07  |  Baz Mann 13/06/07
  65.   Mr Peres Deserves the NOMINATION 17:08  |  Cristina Rault 13/06/07
  66.   Peres will make a Great President 17:12  |  smeze75 13/06/07
  67.   #22, Paul Harris, can`t win them all 17:16  |  newageblues 13/06/07
  68.   Peres 17:19  |  etelle 13/06/07
  69.   Now he`ll make pilgrimage to Ramallah to put flowers 17:26  |  Absolute Sweden 13/06/07
  70.   83 years old good luck with that 17:33  |  Abdulla 13/06/07
  71.   Mazal Tov 17:36  |  Ephraim 13/06/07
  72.   Peres as President 17:39  |  jack feldschreiber 13/06/07
  73.   I Hope He`s Finished With the Self-Sabotaging of His Country 17:40  |  Tod Zuckerman 13/06/07
  74.   Baruch Habba` - Baruch Ha - Shem 17:54  |  Daniel 13/06/07
  75.   kol hakavod! 18:00  |  Jacob 13/06/07
  76.   Give him the honour to cede Golan to Syria! 18:10  |  Alicia 13/06/07
  77.   "44 Margie 18:11  |  Labhras 13/06/07
  78.   UNITE ISRAEL: LEAVE 18:18  |  Yishai Kohen 13/06/07
  79.   Good luck, but where is the future? 18:19  |  Fritz 13/06/07
  80.   Drop the criminal investigation against him 18:24  |  XXX 13/06/07
  81.   An awaiting scandal 18:37  |  David Rutstein 13/06/07
  82.   Felicidades y Mucha Suerte! 18:39  |  Jorge Rosenblat 13/06/07
  83.   look guys/he doesnt like the jewish religion 18:50  |  virginia orrall 13/06/07
  84.   Democracy is not a whistle in the dark 18:50  |  Akram Zekaria 13/06/07
  85.   I am sure that President-elect Peres ... 18:50  |  Gee 13/06/07
  86.   Peres 18:56  |  Connie 13/06/07
  87.   Peres or anyone 19:04  |  Indrajaya 13/06/07
  88.   President-elect Peres: My job is to unite Palestine 19:26  |  pace306 13/06/07
  89.   United under what banner? 19:37  |  Moshe 13/06/07
  90.   A heavy burden indeed 19:38  |  Shulamit 13/06/07
  91.   too late to unite the people 19:45  |  gustavo 13/06/07
  92.   Mazal Tov to President Shimon Peres - A Victory for Israel! 20:26  |  Smadar 13/06/07
  93.   LAID, RELAYED AND PARLAYED 20:39  |  Michael N 13/06/07
  94.   Potential problem with Peres 20:42  |  Tosefta 13/06/07
  95.   President Peres 20:48  |  Steve 13/06/07
  96.   unification 20:53  |  colin 13/06/07
  97.   Shimon Peres 21:07  |  Gabriel 13/06/07
  98.   Burnish replaces tarnish 21:12  |  sh 13/06/07
  99.   %77,Moshe Answer is simple :United under the Green Flag of Islam 21:14  |  Absolute Sweden 13/06/07
  100.   Tosefta on the comatose 21:28  |  sh 13/06/07
  101.   Peres a good man (most talkbacks her have no clue) 21:31  |  Michael Korn 13/06/07
  102.   I will wish him well and pray for his good works. Banner? 21:35  |  Virginia 13/06/07
  103.   #85 No ammendment required 21:39  |  Kate 13/06/07
  104.   # 79 Akram, how sad, how very sad. Did you HEAR what you said? 21:43  |  Virginia 13/06/07
  105.   One should be prepared for all eventualities (Sh #95) 21:55  |  Tosefta 13/06/07
  106.   Who is Israels society? One or two states? 21:58  |  Fritz 13/06/07
  107.   Great day.... 22:01  |  Yussuf ibn Mohamed 13/06/07
  108.   #90 pocohantas lost HUNTING BUFFALO IN ISRAEL 22:05  |  paul harris 13/06/07
  109.   What has P:eres wrought 22:07  |  jackie 13/06/07
  110.   Congratulations 22:25  |  Abu Al Abed 13/06/07
  111.   Israel is in the hands of every Jew 22:47  |  Moises 13/06/07
  112.   Peres Election 22:53  |  Marco 13/06/07
  113.   Congratulations 23:03  |  Velakas 13/06/07
  114.   unite????? 23:22  |  YonaTova 13/06/07
  115.   Too bad for Colette! Too bad for Israel too 23:28  |  Andrei Schwartz 13/06/07
  116.   Let`s Hope President Peres Finally Learns to Stop Scheming 23:54  |  massaraksh 13/06/07
  117.   #108 Paul Harris 23:56  |  Smadar 13/06/07
  118.   Congrats, All you need is an impotenet man like Peres 23:57  |  Balls 13/06/07
  119.   sacrifices for peace 00:14  |  ron 14/06/07
  120.   HOW SOON WILL MURDERER OF INNOCENTS BARGOUTI BE PARDONED ?? 00:17  |  Bill. 14/06/07
  121.   # 109 Thanks Jackie; I read the Article on him 00:27  |  Alicia 14/06/07
  122.   re: PERES MUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE COUNTRY REMAIN ALOSER 00:32  |  whoopsie 14/06/07
  123.   Israel`s Kurt Waldheim 00:47  |  Boris Celser 14/06/07
  124.   Congradulations 01:12  |  Tom Mahoney 14/06/07
  125.   "Why so many negative comments?... " 01:17  |  Daniel 14/06/07
  126.   81. re: An awaiting scandal 01:36  |  flum 14/06/07
  127.   How dear you, mr Celser? 01:45  |  regdi 14/06/07
  128.   FOREINERS, PLEASE READ... 02:15  |  Tal 14/06/07
  129.   Congratulations to our New President 03:59  |  Mark Zober 14/06/07
  130.   Peres would never get my vote, but 04:12  |  Richard 14/06/07
  131.   Peres is the best man for the job because.... 04:40  |  Asylum Aleikum 14/06/07
  132.   Peres in charge! 04:41  |  Dwido 14/06/07
  133.   While attention is diverted to a looser 05:08  |  Joseph E . 14/06/07
  134.   Peres and the North American Locos 05:22  |  D 14/06/07
  135.   The North American Locos- to #128 05:29  |  Dwido 14/06/07
  136.   #123 CONGRATULATIONS BORIS YOU ARE 100% RIGHT 05:42  |  paul harris 14/06/07
  137.   unite with Peres or not 07:41  |  Gollincha 14/06/07
  138.   what a"man" to what a "state" ??? 08:13  |  arab 14/06/07
  139.   Congratulations! 08:30  |  Niall 14/06/07
  140.   Peres Job Should Be To Call For New general Elections NOW 16:21  |  Shepherd 14/06/07
  141.   My job is to unite Palestine 10:19  |  Fahimeh Eghtessadi 20/06/07
  142.   peres elected as president 06:43  |  damsel 16/07/07
  143.   God is grate 07:23  |  Fahi 15/11/08
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