The Israeli parliament has elected Likud’s Reuven Rivlin as the 10th president of Israel.<br /><br />He will succeed Shimon Peres, who ends his seven-year tenure in July at the age of 90.<br /><br />Rivlin is a former minister of communications and twice speaker of the Knesset. <br /><br />He defeated Meir Sheetrit after a second round of voting by 63 to 53 in a secret ballot.<br /><br />The role of president is largely ceremonial and Rivlin will not be involved in talks with the Palestinians.<br /><br />The 74-year-old was first elected to the Knesset in 1988.<br /><br />Rivlin will be sworn in on July 24.
