JERUSALEM -- Israel's parliament on Tuesday chose Reuven Rivlin, a veteran nationalist politician and supporter of the Jewish settlement movement, as the country's next president, putting a man opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state into the ceremonial but influential post.

Rivlin, a stalwart in the governing Likud Party, will succeed Nobel peace laureate Shimon Peres, 90, who has been an outspoken proponent of peace with the Palestinians.

While the presidency is largely ceremonial, Rivlin's opposition to Palestinian independence puts him at odds with the international community and Israel's prime minister.

Rivlin has been a longtime supporter of Jewish settlements in occupied lands claimed by the Palestinians. While rejecting Palestinian independence, he has proposed a special union with the Palestinians in which Jews and Arabs would hold common citizenship but vote for separate parliaments.

Speaking at a ceremony to celebrate his election in the Knesset parliament, Rivlin said his new position "commits me to remove the robe of politics."

"I am not a man of a movement. I am a man of everyone. A man of the people," Rivlin said in his acceptance speech .

While most political power is held by the prime minister, the president plays several key roles in Israel, with the power to pardon prisoners and authority to choose the prime minister after national elections.

In this role, the president selects a member of the Knesset to form a majority coalition after elections. This has usually been the leader of the party with the most seats in the parliament. But with the rise of a number of midsize parties in parliament, Rivlin could have more influence over choosing the country's prime minister.

Rivlin dismissed speculation that he might be upset at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime Likud rival who tried to block his candidacy. Rivlin said he was "not angry at anyone."

Netanyahu congratulated Rivlin and said he would work with him.

"I know you will do all you can as president, and I promise that I as prime minister ... will do the same with you," he said.

Rivlin, 74, currently a lawmaker for the rightist Likud Party, has previously served as speaker of the parliament and as a Cabinet minister. He defeated Meir Sheetrit, another veteran politician, 63 to 53, in a secret runoff ballot. Three other candidates were eliminated in a first round of voting in the 120-member parliament earlier in the day.

Rivlin is to be sworn in for a seven-year term July 24. After Tuesday's vote, Peres called to congratulate him. Rivlin said it would be tough to follow Peres.

Although Rivlin will play no role in Israeli foreign policy, Abdullah Abdullah, a senior Palestinian official, said the election of a man with his views sent a bad message.

"I don't see how he will contribute anything to peacemaking in the region. He is opposed to the two-state solution," he said.

A statement from the White House on Tuesday said, "President-elect Rivlin has a long and dedicated record of public service and we look forward to continued strong ties, to the benefit of both our nations."

The vote capped a nasty campaign in which mudslinging, political intrigue and scandals forced two hopefuls to pull out of the running.

Netanyahu's public standing also took a hit during the campaign because of his attempts to shape the race and block Rivlin's candidacy.

Rivlin is married and has four children. He has built a reputation for congeniality and, as speaker of the parliament, lawmakers considered him respectful of all opinions, even those of his fiercest rivals.

The other candidates included Dalia Dorner, a former Supreme Court judge. Former parliamentary speaker Dalia Itzik and Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Dan Shechtman also vied for the job.

Information for this article was contributed by Josh Lederman of The Associated Press.

A Section on 06/11/2014