Economy Minister Amir Peretz today stated in an interview with the Marciano Foundation on Channel 12 News that he intends to run in the presidential election this summer.
This is not a surprising announcement as in recent months he has made contacts with various political parties to formulate support for his candidacy.
The issue of Peretz's candidacy for the presidency also came up in negotiations between him and Benny Gantz on joining the Labor Party with a Blue and White Bloc in the rotating government, and the issue was agreed between the parties.
In recent weeks, a number of names of possible candidates for the presidency surfaced, ahead of the end of the tenure of Tenth President Reuven Rivlin this coming July.
Among names that have emerged as candidates on their own behalf or by elements in the political system are former Minister Shimon Sheetrit, who officially announced his candidacy; Miriam Peretz, whose name has surfaced several times in recent years in this context but has not yet officially announced that she intends to run; Jewish Agency Chairman Yitzhak Herzog, the son of former President Chaim Herzog, who is also working to formulate support for his candidacy but has not yet announced it; and a relatively new name that came up in this regard this week, the popular singer Yehoram Gaon.