For a short time at least, the [Acting] President of the State of Israel is a Shomer Shabbos MK, Otniel Schneller of the ruling Kadima Party, who is also filling in as Acting Knesset Speaker.

President Shimon Peres on Monday night left for North America, where he will attend the United Nations General Assembly. When he is not in the country, the president is replaced by the Knesset Speaker but in this case, the Knesset speaker is also out of the country.

Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik left about a week ago, traveling to Baltimore and other areas in the United States. As such, she is replaced by the most senior deputy speaker, which is Schneller, who also fills in for the president in the speaker’s absence.

On Monday, the speaker, Itzik, delivered an address to a protest rally against the presence of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the UN General Assembly. She spoke of the threat Iran represents to the citizens of the United States, adding both presidential candidates have stated they will work to prevent a nuclear Iran.

Itzik was compelled to wear a flack jacket under her garment as per demands by security personnel who preferred to cancel her address altogether.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)