Shimon Peres announced his run for Israel’s presidency.
“After much thought I have decided to satisfy all the requests that I be a candidate for president,” the 83-year-old vice premier said Wednesday in accepting the Kadima faction’s endorsement of his run for head of state. “I have been asked to make what could be my last contribution” to Israel.
The successor to President Moshe Katsav will be elected June 13 in a Knesset ballot. Peres, who lost to Katsav in the 2000 run, is now up against Reuven Rivlin of the Likud Party and Colette Avital of Labor.
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