Isaac Herzog, a veteran politician and the scion of a prominent Israeli Zionist family, has been elected president, which is a largely ceremonial role.
An anonymous vote was held on Tuesday among the 120 members of the Knesset which is the Israeli parliament.
60-year-old Herzog is a former head of Israel's Labor Party and opposition leader who unsuccessfully ran against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the 2013 parliamentary elections.
He will succeed Reuven Rivlin, who is set to leave office next month.