Netanyahu won't endorse a candidate for president

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided not to endorse either candidate in Wednesday’s presidential election vote, a Likud spokesman said Sunday.

Netanyahu has had bad luck with presidential elections. He worked against President Reuven Rivlin seven years ago, endorsed Rivlin in the election he lost to Shimon Peres, and in 1998, during his first term as prime minister, he failed to unseat incumbent Ezer Weizman.

Netanyahu met candidate Miriam Peretz at his Jerusalem office on Sunday and will be meeting her opponent, Jewish Agency chairman Isaac Herzog, on Monday.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for her life story, her personality and her activism,” a Likud spokesman said. “Netanyahu said Israel is blessed with two worthy candidates for president and that he is obligated by the Likud’s decision to enable its MKs to freely vote their conscience.”

Peretz thanked the prime minister and called him “deep” and a good listener. She said she told him of her vision for the President’s Residence under her leadership.

The Peretz campaign sent Likud MKs a petition signed by 600 Likud central committee members supporting her candidacy.