Editing President of Israel (section)

==Presidential backgrounds==
Most Israeli presidents were involved in national politics or [[Zionism|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.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}

The first Israeli presidents were born in the former [[Russian Empire]]. The first native-born president, as well as the first with a [[Sephardic Jews|Sephardi]] background, was [[Yitzhak Navon]]. The first president with a Western European background was Chaim Herzog, who originally came from [[Belfast]], [[United Kingdom]]. The first president with a [[Mizrahi Jews|Mizrahi]] background was [[Moshe Katsav]], who was born in [[Iran]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}

The first president to be born in the modern state after [[Israeli Declaration of Independence|Israel's declaration of independence]] is [[Isaac Herzog]]. He is also the first son of a former Israeli president to also become president. As of 2024, the only other presidents with close family ties were [[Chaim Weizmann]] and his nephew [[Ezer Weizman]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}