Knesset

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Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset ([בית כנסת]) literally means "House of Assembly," and refers to a synagogue.

The Knesset (כנסת, Hebrew for "assembly") is the legislature of Israel. It is located in Jerusalem.

The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset enacts laws, elects the prime minister (although he is ceremonially appointed by the President), supervises the work of the government, reserves the power to remove the President of the State and the State Comptroller from office and to dissolve itself and call new elections.

The Knesset first convened on February 14, 1949. Every 4 years (or less if early elections are held, as is often the case), 120 members of the Knesset (MK) are elected by Israeli citizens who must be 18 years old to vote. The Government of Israel must be approved by a majority vote of the Knesset.

The Knesset has de jure parliamentary supremacy and can pass any laws by a simple majority, even those that conflict with the Basic Laws of Israel, as it is also a Constituent Assembly. Nonetheless, the Knesset's right to function effectively has been greatly curtailed due to the inherent flaws of the low threshold party list proportional representation that usually results in a fractious government dependent on unstable coalitions. Hence, de facto, the Supreme Court of Israel has greatly expanded its authority through judicial review to nearly every aspect of Knesset legislation at the expense of the Knesset's authority.

The Knesset is guarded by the Knesset Guard.

Latest election

} discuss]] – [[|action=edit}} edit]]
Summary of the 28 March 2006 Knesset of Israel election results
|-
|style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Parties
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|%
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|+/-
|-
|align=left|Kadima (Forward)
|690,901
|22.02%
|29 
|new 1
|-
|align=left|Ha-Avoda (Labour)
|472,366
|15.06%
|19
| -2 2
|-
|align=left|Shas (Mifleget Ha-Sfaradim Shomrei Torah, Sephardi Religious Party)
|299,054
|9.53%
|12
| +1
|-
|align=left|Likud (Consolidation)
|281,996
|8.989%
|12
| -15 3
|-
|align=left|Yisrael Beytenu (Our Home Israel)
|281,880
|8.985%
|11
| +8 4
|-
|align=left|National Union - National Religious Party
National Union (Ha-Ihud Ha-Leumi)
*Moledet (Homeland)
*Tkuma (Revival)
*Renewed Religious National Zionist party (Tziyonut Datit Le'umit Mitchadeshet)
National Religious Party (Miflaga Datit Le'umit or Mafdal)
|valign=top|224,083
|valign=top|7.14%
|valign=top|9
|valign=top|-1 5
|-
|align=left|Gil - Gimla'ey Yisrael LaKneset (Age - Pensioners of Israel to the Knesset)
|185,759
|5.92%
|7
|new
|-
|align=left|United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Ha-Torah also Achdut HaTorah HaMeuchedet)
Agudat Israel (Union of Israel)
Degel HaTorah  (Banner [of] the Torah)
|valign=top|147,091
|valign=top|4.69%
|valign=top|6
|valign=top| +1
|-
|align=left|Meretz-Yachad (Vigor-Together)
|118,302
|3.77%
|5
| -1
|-
|align=left| Ra'am-Ta'al (Reshima Aravit Me'uchedet, United Arab List - Arab Movement for Renewal)
|94,786
|3.02%
|4
| +2
|-
|align=left|Hadash (Ha-Chazit Ha-Demokratit le-Shalom ule-shivyon, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality)
|86,092
|2.74%
|3
| 0
|-
|align=left|Balad (Brit Leumit Demokratit or National Democratic Assembly)
|72,066
|2.30%
|3 
| 0
|-
|align=left|HaYeruqim (The Greens, environmentalist party)
|47,595
|1.52%
|0
|0
|-
|align=left|Ale Yarok (Green Leaf, cannabis legalization party)
|40,353
|1.29%
|0
|0
|-
|align=left|Hazit Yehudit Le'umit (National Jewish Front)
|24,824
|0.79%
|0
|0
|-
|align=left|Tafnit (Turnaround)
|18,753
|0.60%
|0
|0
|-
|align=left|Hetz (Arrow)
|10,113
|0.33%
|0
|new 6 
|-
|align=left|Shinui (Change)
|4,675
|0.16%
|0
| -157
|-
|align=left|Other parties
|36,375
|1.16%
|0
|0
|-
|align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|Total
|width="75" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|3,137,064
|width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100%
|width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|120
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| 
|-
|align=left colspan=5|
Eligible voters: 5,014,622

Total votes cast: 3,186,739 (Turnout 63.6%)

Spoiled ballots: 49,675 (1.56% of votes cast)

Valid ballots: 3,137,064

Threshold (2%): 62,741

Votes per seat: 24,620
|-
|align=left colspan=5|
1 14 Knesset members joined Kadima in November 2005, 13 of them from Likud.
2 Am Ehad (3 Knesset members) merged with Ha-Avoda (19 Knesset members) in 2004.
3 Israel Ba-Aliya (2 Knesset members) merged with Likud (38 Knesset members) in 2003, 13 MKs split and joined Kadima in 2005.
4 Yisrael Beytenu (3 Knesset members) split from National Union (7 Knesset members) in 2003.
5 National Religious Party (6 Knesset members) joined with National Union (4 Knesset members after the split 4) prior to the election.
6 9 Knesset members split from Shinui and joined Hetz prior to the elections.
7 Only 2 Knesset members were left from the original faction after the split6 prior to the elections.


|}


Knesset location and building
The current Knesset building is located on a hilltop in the west of Jerusalem; it was paid for by James A. de Rothschild as a gift to the State of Israel. Before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War there was an Arab settlement called Sheikh Badr on the site. The Knesset has had several locations:
February 14, 1949: First meeting of the Constituent Assembly, Jewish Agency building, Jerusalem.
March 8, 1949-December 14, 1949: Sittings held in the Kessem Cinema in Tel Aviv.
December 26, 1949-March 8, 1950: Reconvenes in the Jewish Agency building, Jerusalem.
March 13, 1950: Temporary location at "Froumine Building", King George Street, Jerusalem.
1957: James A. de Rothschild advises Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion that he will donate the funds for the permanent Knesset building.
October 14, 1958: Laying of the cornerstone for new Knesset building.
August 31, 1966: Dedication of the new building during the sixth Knesset.
1981: New wing built, opened in 1992.
2005: Additional wing presently being built.
The Knesset building is built on land leased from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.#redirect [[Template:Fact]]


The Knesset Assemblies
The Knesset term (the condition of the Knesset between two general elections for parliament) is called "Assembly". For example: the first term of the Knesset from 1949 to 1951 was called "The 1st assembly" הכנסת הראשונה. The current assembly is the 17th Assembly ( "הכנסת ה "17, ha-Knesset ha-Shvah-Esre).


Composition of the 1st Knesset (elected 1949)
Mapai 46
Mapam 19
United Religious Front 16
Herut Movement 14
General Zionists 7
Progressive Party 5
Sephardim and the Edot of the Mizrah 4
Maki 4
Democratic Party of Nazareth (assoc. with Mapai) 2
Fighters List 1
WIZO 1
Yemenite Association 1



Composition of the 2nd Knesset (elected 1951)
Mapai 45
General Zionists 20
Mapam* 15
Hapo'el Hamizrahi 8
Herut Movement 8
Maki 5
Progressive Party 4
Democratic list of Israeli Arabs** 3
Agudat Yisrael 3
Spharadim and Edot Mizrah 2
Po'alei Agudat Yisrael 2
Hamizrahi 2
Kidmah Va'avodah** 1
Yemenite Association 1
Hakla`ut Ufituah** 1
*Mapam and Ahdut Ha'avodah-Po'alei Zion split in the course of the term, but the Knesset Parliamentary Group remained united. 


**Minority lists associated with Mapai 


Composition of the 3rd Knesset (elected 1955)
Mapai 40
Herut Movement 15
General Zionists 13
United Religious Front 11
Ahdut Ha'avodah 10
Mapam 9
Religious Torah Front 6
Maki 6
Progressive Party 5
Democratic list of Israeli Arabs* 2
Kidmah Va'avodah* 2
Hakla`ut Ufituah* 1
*Minority lists associated with Mapai


Composition of the 4th Knesset (elected 1959)
Mapai 47
Herut Movement 17
National Religious Party 12
Mapam 9
General Zionists 8
Ahdut Ha'avodah 7
Religious Torah Front 6
Progressive Party 6
Maki 3
Kidmah Ufituah* 2
Shituf Ve`ahvah* 2
Hakla`ut Ufituah* 1
*Minority lists associated with Mapai 


Composition of the 5th Knesset (elected 1961)
Mapai 42
Herut Movement 17
Liberals (General Zionists and Progressive party) 17
National Religious Party 12
Mapam 9
Ahdut Ha'avodah 8
Maki 5
Agudat Yisrael 4
Po'alei Agudat Yisrael 2
Shituf Ve`ahvah* 2
Kidmah Ufituah* 2
*Minority lists associated with Mapai


Composition of the 6th Knesset (elected 1965)
Labour Alignment (Mapai and Ahdut Ha'avodah) 45
Gahal (Herut Movement and Liberals) 26
National Religious Party 11
Rafi (split from Mapai) 10
Mapam 8
Independent Liberals (split from Liberals) 5
Agudat Yisrael 4
Rakah (split from Maki) 3
Kidmah Ufituah* 2
Po'alei Agudat Yisrael 2
Shituf Ve`ahvah* 2
Ha'olam Hazeh-Koah Hadash 1
Maki 1
*Minority lists associated with Mapai


Composition of the 7th Knesset (elected 1969)
Labour Alignment (includes Mapam and Rafi) 56
Gahal 26
National Religious Party 12
Agudat Yisrael 4
Independent Liberals 4
State List (split from Rafi) 3
Rakah 3
Kidmah Ufituah* 2
Po'alei Agudat Yisrael 2
Shituf Ve`ahvah* 2
Ha'olam Hazeh-Koah Hadash 2
Hamerkaz Hahofshi (split from Gahal) 2
Maki 1
*Minority lists associated with Mapai


Composition of the 8th Knesset (elected 1973)
Labor Alignment 51
Likud 39
National Religious Party 10
United Torah Front 5
Independent Liberals 4
Rakah 4
Civil Rights Movement (Ratz) 3
Kidma Vepituah 2
Moked 1
Arab List 1
Composition of the 9th Knesset (elected 1977)
Likud 43
Labor Alignment 32
[DASH] 15
National Religious Party 12
Hadash (includes Rakah) 5
United Torah Front 5
Agudat Yisrael 4
[Plato Sharon] 1
Shlomtzion 2
Shelli 2
United Arab List* 1
Po'alei Agudat Yisrael 1
Ratz 1
Independent Liberals 1
*Minority lists associated with Mapai


Composition of the 10th Knesset (elected 1981)
Likud 48
Labor Alignment 47
National Religious Party 6
Agudat Yisrael 4
Hadash 4
Tami 3
Tehiya (split from Likud) 3
Telem 2
Shinui (split from Dash) 2
Ratz 1
Composition of the 11th Knesset (elected 1984)
Labor Alignment 44
Likud 41
Tehiya-Tsomet 5
National Religious Party 4
Hadash 4
Shas 4
Shinui 3
Ratz 3
Yachad (centrist party)* 3
Progressive List for Peace 2
Agudat Yisrael 2
Morasha-Po'aeli Agudat Yisrael 2
Tami 1
Kach 1
Ometz 1
* no connection with the Yachad party formed in 2004.


Composition of the 12th Knesset (elected 1988)
Likud 40
Labor Alignment 39
Shas 6
Agudat Yisrael 5
Ratz 5
National Religious Party 4
Hadash 4
Tehiya 3
Mapam (having left the Labor Alignment) 3
Tsomet 2
Moledet 2
Shinui 2
Degel Hatorah 2
Progressive List for Peace 1
Arab Democratic Party 1
Composition of the 13th Knesset (elected 1992)
Labor 44
Likud 32
Meretz (includes Mapam, Shinui and Ratz) 12
Tsomet 8
National Religious Party 6
Shas 6
Yahadut Hatorah 4
Hadash 3
Moledet 3
Arab Democratic Party 2
Composition of the 14th Knesset (elected 1996)
Labor 34
Likud-Gesher-Tsomet 32
Shas 10
National Religious Party 9
Meretz 9
Yisrael Ba`aliyah 7
Hadash 5
Yahadut Hatorah 4
The Third Way 4
United Arab List 4
Moledet 2
Composition of the 15th Knesset (elected 1999)
One Israel (Labor) 26
Likud 19
Shas 17
Meretz 10
Yisrael Ba`aliyah 6
Shinui 6
The Center Party 6
National Religious Party 5
United Torah Judaism 5
United Arab List 5
National Union 4
Hadash 3
Yisrael Beiteinu 4
National Democratic Alliance (Balad) 2
One Nation - for Israeli Workers and Pensioners (Am Ekhad) 2
Composition of the 16th Knesset (
} discuss]] – [[|action=edit}} edit]]
'''Summary of the 28 January 2003 Israeli Knesset Israeli election results
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Ideology
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Seats
|----
|align=left| Likud ליכוד ("Consolidation")
|align=left| Conservatism
| 925,279
| 29.39%
| 38
|----
|align=left| Labour העבודה (Ha-Avoda)
|align=left| Social Democracy
| 455,183
| 14.46%
| 19
|----
|align=left| Shinui שינוי ("Change")
|align=left| Liberalism
| 386,535
| 12.28%
| 15
|----
|align=left| Mifleget Ha-Sfaradim Shomrei Torah מפלגת הספרדים שומרי תורה ("Sephardi Religious Party", "Shas")
|align=left| Jewish/Sectarian Democracy
| 258,879
| 8.22%
| 11
|----
|align=left| National Union האיחוד הלאומי (Ha-Ihud Ha-Leumi)
Moledet מולדת ("Homeland")
Tkuma תקומה ("Revival")
Yisrael Beytenu ישראל ביתנו ("Our Home Israel")
|align=left| Right-wing
| 173,973
| 5.52%
| 7
|----
|align=left| Meretz מרצ ("Vigor")
|align=left| "Left"/Zionist
| 164,122
| 5.21%
| 6
|----
|align=left| National Religious Party מפלגה דתית לאומית-מפד"ל  (Miflaga Datit Le'umit or Mafdal)
|align=left| Sectarian Zionism
| 132,370
| 4.20%
| 6
|----
|align=left|United Torah Judaism יהדות התורה (Yahadut Ha-Torah also Achdut HaTorah HaMeuchedet)
Agudat Israel אגודת ישראל ("Union of Israel")
Degel HaTorah דגל התורה ("Banner [of] the Torah")
|align=left| Union of Religious Factions
| 135,087
| 4.29%
| 5
|----
|align=left| Ha-Chazit Ha-Demokratit le-Shalom ule-shivyon החזית הדמוקרטית לשלום ולשוויון  ("Democratic Front for Peace and Equality")
|align=left| Left-wing/Anti-zionist
| 93,819
| 2.98%
| 3
|----
|align=left| Am Ehad עם אחד ("One Nation")
|align=left| Socialism
| 86,808
| 2.76%
| 3
|----
|align=left| Brit Leumit Demokratit ברית לאומית דמוקרטית  al-Tajamu' al-Watani al-Dimuqrati) ("National Democratic League")
|align=left| Arab/Secular Democratic
| 71,299
| 2.26%
| 3
|----
|align=left| Israel Ba-Aliya ישראל בעלייה 
|align=left| immigration/Secular Democratic
| 67,719
| 2.15%
| 2
|----
|align=left| United Arab List רשימה ערבית מאוחדת-רע"ם (Reshima Aravit Me'uchedet or Ra'am)
|align=left| Reform Zionist/Palestinian
| 65,551
| 2.08%
| 2
|----
|align=left| Others
|align=left| N/A
| 128,740
| 4.09%
| 0
|- bgcolor="#E9E9E9" 
|align=left| Total
|
| 3,145,364
| 100%
| 120
|}
In November 2005, Amir Peretz was elected as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon established the centrist Kadima Party, which quickly drew support from moderate MKs across the Knesset. These events resulted in drastic upheaval in the composition of the Knesset, which, as of January 2006, consists of:
Likud 27
Labor 21
Kadima (split from Likud) 14
Shinui 14
Shas 11
National Union 7
Meretz 6
National Religious Party 4
Agudat Israel 3
Hadash 3
Balad 3
United Arab List 2
Degel HaTorah 2
Renewed Religious National Zionism (split from National Religious Party) 2
Tzalash (Yosef Paritzki, split from Shinui) 1
Composition of the 17th Knesset (
Kadima 29
Labor 19
Shas 12
Likud 12
Yisrael Beytenu 11
National Union/National Religious Party* 9
Gil 7
United Torah Judaism** 6
Meretz-Yachad 5
United Arab List 4
Hadash 3
Balad 3
*The National Union and National Religious parties submitted a single list for this election, and may be considered one party.


**In similar fashion, Agudat Israel and Degel HaTorah submitted a single list under the banner of United Torah Judaism.


Kadima, Labor, Shas and Gil together form the governing coalition, with 67 of the 120 seats. This government took office on May 4, 2006.


See also
List of Knesset members
List of Knesset speakers
List of political parties in Israel
List of Israelis
List of Likud Knesset Members
List of Tzomet Knesset Members
Prime Minister of Israel
President of Israel
Politics of Israel
Basic Laws of Israel
Law of Return
Israeli Security Forces
External links
[Official website]
[Official website (English)]
[Parliamentary Groups in the Knesset]
[Minorities - Arab representatives in the Israeli Parliament]
[Jerusalem Photo Archive] - Knesset





































 

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