Presidents of Israel

Since its founding, Israel has had the position of President as the ceremonial head of state. Below is an overview of the individuals who have served as presidents — in roughly chronological order — along with a short summary of their tenures and backgrounds.

Chaim Weizmann — First President (1949–1952)
A chemist and prominent Zionist leader, Weizmann was elected the first President by the first parliament in 1949. His presidency helped lay the institutional foundations of the new state.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (1952–1963)
A historian and Labor-Zionist, Ben-Zvi became the second president in late 1952. He is the longest-serving president in Israel’s history, holding the post until his death in 1963.

Zalman Shazar (1963–1973)
The third president, Shazar — also an author and Jewish historian — served for a decade. His presidency coincided with significant events in Israel’s early decades, and he was re-elected for a second term.

Ephraim Katzir (1973–1978)
A renowned biophysicist before entering public service, Katzir served as Israel’s fourth president. His background in science stood out among his predecessors.

Yitzhak Navon (1978–1983)
Navon was Israel’s fifth president, and notably the first born in Jerusalem. He was also the first Sephardi Jew to hold the office. In addition to his ceremonial duties, Navon was known as an author and educator.

Chaim Herzog (1983–1993)
A former general and diplomat, Herzog served as the sixth president. His decade-long presidency spanned much of the 1980s and early 1990s, a period of significant regional and internal shifts in Israel.

Ezer Weizman (1993–2000)
Before becoming president, Weizman was a major general in Israel’s Air Force and served as Minister of Defense. As the seventh president, his military and political background brought a different flavour to the largely ceremonial role.

Moshe Katsav (2000–2007)
Katsav became the eighth president. He was the first Mizrahi Jew to hold the presidency and only the second president with non-Ashkenazi roots after Navon. His presidency marked the beginning of the 21st-century era.

Shimon Peres (2007–2014)
A veteran statesman with a long political career, Peres served as the ninth president. His presidency followed decades of diplomatic and political leadership in Israel.

Reuven Rivlin (2014–2021)
Serving as the tenth president, Rivlin held the largely ceremonial post during a period of changing political dynamics in Israel.

Isaac Herzog (2021–present)
The eleventh and current president, Herzog assumed office in 2021. His presidency reflects continuity in Israel’s ceremonial head-of-state tradition.