ByJPOST EDITORIAL

With all that has been going on in the country during Operation Guardian of the Walls, it was easy to overlook a significant event last week: Wednesday was the deadline for candidates to submit their name for the job of president of the State of Israel.

Two people filed the papers on time: Isaac Herzog and Miriam Peretz. Herzog, who has taken unpaid leave from his job as chairman of the Jewish Agency ahead of the presidential election, gathered 27 signatures from across the political spectrum, while Peretz, a well-respected educator, garnered 11 names, mainly from MKs on the Right. The vote will be held on June 2.

The president is elected by Israel’s 120 members of Knesset in secret ballot, so that MKs are free to choose the candidate they prefer without being bound by party affiliations.

Both candidates are worthy people who have contributed to the state, and who have the moral integrity required to represent the country as its No. 1 citizen. There are, however, significant differences between their background and experience.

Peretz was known to be interested in the position for several months, and her media presence has increased lately. Last week she said the escalation of hostilities in Gaza is what persuaded her to run. Peretz became a much-loved public figure after two of her sons were killed in the IDF, and she began publicly devoting her life to uniting Israelis, which she hopes to continue doing as president. The fact that she is a woman and comes from a Sephardi background has been presented as points in her favor.

Herzog, on the other hand, has been in the public limelight his entire life – his father, Chaim Herzog, was Israel’s sixth president, his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, was Israel’s first chief rabbi, and his uncle, Abba Eban, served as Israel’s foreign minister.

In a statement released to the media, Herzog said his family’s history and his professional experience taught him that Israel cannot be taken for granted.

“The next president of the State of Israel will need to heal the rifts among us,” Herzog said. “The president will have to connect Jews here in Zion with their brothers in the Diaspora, improve Israel’s international image, defend its good name in the family of nations, and struggle against its haters.”
 

Herzog definitely has the experience that is needed. A former head of the Labor party, he was cabinet secretary, MK from 2003 to 2018, and served as minister of Diaspora Affairs, Tourism, Welfare and Construction.

Traditionally religious, Herzog is often called by his nickname, “Bougie,” bestowed upon him by his Egyptian-born, French-speaking mother, Aura Herzog, who was one of the country’s first environmental activists.

While The Jerusalem Post traditionally does not endorse candidates for any office, we are making an exception for the office of president. This position is not elected by the people but by Knesset members only, and it is important that they hear views and opinions that reflect what people are thinking.
 

Without detracting from the qualities and capabilities of Israel Prize-winner Miriam Peretz, we believe that Herzog is the perfect candidate to serve as president of the state at this time.

Herzog has the legal and political experiences to handle the challenges of president, a position whose importance has been proven over the last two-and-a-half years of non-stop elections. The president needs to occasionally stand up and serve as the moral voice for Israel in the face of government action that either undermines Israel’s democratic fabric or harms its security.

The president also needs to have good relations with Diaspora Jewry and – as seen in recent years – pass on high-level and sensitive information to world leaders.

Israel is going through a tough period politically, diplomatically, and socially. It is essential that whoever serves as president be capable of rising above petty politics to unite the country, especially when it is possible that the current prime minister might request clemency. Peretz should be commended for her tireless efforts at trying to bring the country together.

But Israel needs someone with experience. Someone like Herzog.