Presidential Backgrounds
Most Israeli presidents were involved in national politics or Zionist activities before taking office. Some were also distinguished in other fields, for example, Chaim Weizmann was a leading research chemist who founded the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot; Zalman Shazar was an author, poet, and journalist; and Chaim Herzog was a military leader, attorney, and diplomat.
The first Israeli presidents were born in the former Russian Empire, which was true of much of the leadership in the early days of the state. The first native-born president, as well as the first with a Sephardic background, was Yitzhak Navon. The first president with a Western European background was Chaim Herzog, who originally came from Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first president from a Middle Eastern country outside of Israel was Moshe Katsav, who was born in Persia.
Read more about this topic: President Of Israel
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