President of Israel

Coordinates: 31°46′11″N 35°12′51″E / 31.76972°N 35.21417°E / 31.76972; 35.21417

The President of the State of Israel (Hebrew: נְשִׂיא הַמְּדִינָה, Nesi HaMedina, lit. President of the State) is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely a ceremonial figurehead role, with executive power effectively being exercised by the prime minister. The current president is Reuven Rivlin, who took office on 24 July 2014. Presidents are elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term and are limited to a single term.

Election

The president is elected by an absolute majority in the Knesset. If no candidate has received an absolute majority by the third round of voting, a simple majority is sufficient. When electing the president, Knesset members vote by secret ballot. The president is elected to a term of seven years, and cannot be re-elected. Until recently, the president was elected for a five-year term, and was allowed to serve up to two terms in office.

Any Israeli citizen who is a resident of the State is eligible to run for president. The office falls vacant upon completion of a term, resignation, or the decision of three-quarters of the Knesset to remove the president on grounds of misconduct or incapacity. Presidential tenure is not keyed to that of the Knesset in order to assure continuity in government and the nonpartisan character of the office. There is no vice president in the Israeli governmental system. If the president is temporarily incapacitated or leaves office, the speaker of the Knesset becomes acting president.