Rivlin, a five-time Knesset Member of the Likud Party, sent a letter to his fellow legislators today, writing, "At the end of my term [in 2005] as the Speaker of the 16th Knesset, I became aware that many of you - from all party factions and without regard to political affiliation - viewed me as a worthy candidate for this lofty post. I was happy to discover that even now, many of you continue to support me, and that this support continues cross party lines."
"The time has come for me to turn to you with the respect due to the Presidency and the Knesset and officially request your support for my candidacy for the Presidency," Rivlin wrote.
Ruby Rivlin is known for his pro-Land of Israel views, and was a leading member of the Likud camp known as the Rebels - they called themselves "Loyalists" - who strongly opposed then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's withdrawal from Gaza and northern Shomron.
A descendant of the 18th-century Gaon of Vilna, he was born in September '39 in Jerusalem to a family that traces its Jerusalem roots back several generations. He is married and has four children. Rivlin has a law degree and was a lawyer, and reached the rank of Major in the IDF. He served as Communications Minister from 2001-3, and was a founding member of the Jerusalem lobby in the Knesset.
Rivlin is the first to officially declare his candidacy for the Presidency, though Shimon Peres has hinted strongly that he will run. Other names that have been mentioned are former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and Labor MK Collette Avital.
Peres supporters are hoping - apparently in vain - that the Knesset will agree to conduct a non-secret ballot for the vote this coming July. They hope that all those who say they will vote for him will actually do so - unlike in the previous election, when underdog Moshe Katzav defeated Peres, 63-57, in a secret vote.
Rivlin wrote that he opposes the Peres law, which he called an "unworthy trick." He continued, "The citizens of Israel are worthy of a President who sees his position as exalted and honorable, and not as a consolation prize."
In possibly another jab at Peres, Rivlin wrote, "Israel's 9th President must be one who is not embarrassed to get emotional and even to cry; he should be a President who can be a wailing wall for the public, if necessary, and who should be respected and loved by the people of all sectors here in Israel..."
"The time has come for me to turn to you with the respect due to the Presidency and the Knesset and officially request your support for my candidacy for the Presidency," Rivlin wrote.
Ruby Rivlin is known for his pro-Land of Israel views, and was a leading member of the Likud camp known as the Rebels - they called themselves "Loyalists" - who strongly opposed then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's withdrawal from Gaza and northern Shomron.
A descendant of the 18th-century Gaon of Vilna, he was born in September '39 in Jerusalem to a family that traces its Jerusalem roots back several generations. He is married and has four children. Rivlin has a law degree and was a lawyer, and reached the rank of Major in the IDF. He served as Communications Minister from 2001-3, and was a founding member of the Jerusalem lobby in the Knesset.
Rivlin is the first to officially declare his candidacy for the Presidency, though Shimon Peres has hinted strongly that he will run. Other names that have been mentioned are former Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and Labor MK Collette Avital.
Peres supporters are hoping - apparently in vain - that the Knesset will agree to conduct a non-secret ballot for the vote this coming July. They hope that all those who say they will vote for him will actually do so - unlike in the previous election, when underdog Moshe Katzav defeated Peres, 63-57, in a secret vote.
Rivlin wrote that he opposes the Peres law, which he called an "unworthy trick." He continued, "The citizens of Israel are worthy of a President who sees his position as exalted and honorable, and not as a consolation prize."
In possibly another jab at Peres, Rivlin wrote, "Israel's 9th President must be one who is not embarrassed to get emotional and even to cry; he should be a President who can be a wailing wall for the public, if necessary, and who should be respected and loved by the people of all sectors here in Israel..."