This will be Mr Peres' second run at the presidency

It is the second attempt by Mr Peres to become Israel's president. This time he will be the candidate of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party.

The role of president in Israel is largely ceremonial.

The current holder of the post, Moshe Katsav, is on leave of absence after being accused of rape and other sexual offences. He denies any wrongdoing.

Mr Peres is currently Israel's vice premier and minister of development for the Negev and Galilee regions.

SHIMON PERES Born 1923 in Poland Emigrated to British-administered Palestine 1934 Member of parliament since 1959 Prime minister in 1984 and 1995-1996

He has been Israeli prime minister, held numerous ministerial posts, but lost general elections in 1977, 1981, 1984, 1988, and 1996.

His greatest successes have come on the international stage, and he was the guiding light behind Israel's first interim peace accord with the Palestine Liberation Organisation in 1993 in Oslo.

A high point of Mr Peres' long career came in 1994, when he shared the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his role.

For a man widely viewed as a dove in the context of Israeli politics, Mr Peres was hawkish on Israel's nuclear programme.

He has gone on record as admitting that Israel's nuclear facility at Dimona - the building of which he oversaw - was established as a deterrent, although Israel maintains an official policy of what is known as "ambiguity".

In 2000 he failed in his effort to secure the ceremonial post of president, losing to the then relatively obscure Moshe Katsav.