Knesset
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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
Template:Israel legislative election, 2006
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.[citation needed]
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 (arab party 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 1974)
- 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 (elected 2003)
Template:Israeli legislative election, 2003 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, in January, 2006, consisted 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 (elected 2006)
- 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 as 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