 Vice Premier Shimon Peres ended his losing ways on Wednesday, beating MKs Reuven Rivlin (Likud) and Colette Avital (Labor) to become Israel's ninth president. The victory vanquished his previous eight defeats. He also avenged his loss to the Likud's Moshe Katsav in the 2000 presidential race. "This may be my last contribution to the state," Peres said. "No matter how much I thought of this, I was caught unprepared. Today, I witnessed a show of unity, togetherness, and democracy at its finest. Today, the Knesset showed nobility and camaraderie." |