Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin announced earlier this week that the parliamentary secret ballot for Israel’s next president will be held on June 2nd.

All candidates must submit the signatures of at least 10 MKs recommending them by May 19 at midnight.

The winner will be President Rivlin’s successor when his seven-year term ends on July 9.

The candidates who have announced their candidacy for Israel’s 11th president are former Labor Party minister Shimon Shetreet, former Likud MK Yehudah Glick, former Labor MK Michael Bar-Zohar, and solar energy pioneer and entrepreneur Yosef Abramowitz.

Jewish Agency chairman Isaac Herzog, whose father, Chaim Herzog, was Israel’s sixth president, is considered the most likely front-runner. He has yet to officially declare his candidacy but he is expected to do so in the coming days.

According to a B’Chadrei Chareidim report on Thursday, Herzog has succeeded in gaining the support of UTJ and Shas MKs and a number of them have already signed a recommendation for his candidacy.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)