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Knesset

The Knesset is the legislative branch of the Israeli government. Its name, whose Hebrew translation means literally 'the gathering' or 'the assembly, is a derivative of the ancient Great Assembly,' the gathering of 120 sages that governed the Jewish people between the end of the Biblical prophets until 200 B.C. The Knesset is the national legislature of the State of Israel and passes all of the country's laws, in addition to electing the president, approving the cabinet and supervising governmental work. The Knesset functions as the unicameral national legislature in Israel in a parliamentary manner, with elections forming members of Knesset (MKs) held at least every fourth year. Knesset history The Knesset first convened on February 14th, 1949, taking over for transitional governments that had existed since Israel declared independence on May 14th, 1948, and met in the Jewish Agency building in Jerusalem. Between March and December of that year the legislature was moved to Tel Aviv, the only period the Knesset was not seated in Jerusalem. Following a four-month return to the Jewish Agency building, the Knesset moved to King George Street in the city center, where it remained until the current complex was opened in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat Ram, August 31st, 1966. The Knesset complex was funded by British Liberal politician James de Rothschild and has underwent two major additions, completed in 1992 and 2007. Knesset functions The Knesset sets the laws of the State of Israel and oversees governmental works via a series of 12 permanent committees, which include ones focused on foreign affairs and defense, education and culture, economics and the status of women, among others. Special committees can also be formed when necessity arises, such as the central elections committee and the public petitions committee, among others. The Knesset, as a parliamentary system, is presided over by the Speaker of Knesset and passes laws based off a simple majority of the 120-member voting bloc. Israel's prime minister, as head of the ruling party, is determined by the party best able to form a coalition comprised of at the minimum a simple majority. Knesset seats are allocated based on proportional representation using the D'Hondt method and parties are admitted to Knesset when passing an election threshold of 3.25 percent. Members of Knesset have the ability to raise a vote of no confidence in the government or in government ministers, a move that was only once successful in Knesset's history. Likewise, in order for a prime minister to be named, the candidate must receive a vote of confidence on the Knesset floor before taking office. Knesset assemblies There have been 20 assemblies of Knesset in Israel's history, each referred to by its election number. The First Knesset, under the auspices of prime minister David Ben-Gurion, was in session from 1949 until 1951. Elections occurred by and large every fourth year, unless elections were called early. However, no Knesset term lasted fewer than three years, except for the 19th Knesset, which lasted from 2013 until 2015.

Netanyahu must decide if he's a leader or follower as his government loses Israel's trust - opinion

Why then does Netanyahu choose to turn his back on the will of the majority, thereby eroding public trust in him and his government?

|ByYEDIDIA STERN
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at a Knesset debate, July 14, 2025; illustrative.
Soldiers of the Neztah Yehuda Battalion complete the final stages of a 40 kilometer journey all throught the night of Feb 16 2010.

Understanding the ultra-Orthodox: Is haredim in the army a pipe dream or within reach?

Fears, hopes, and the IDF’s efforts to work with the community – and improve conditions to maximize ultra-Orthodox recruitment

|ByJUDITH SEGALOFF
MK Hanoch Milwidsky attends a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on November 25, 2024.

Knesset members receive intimate photos, explicit conversations of Likud MK Hanoch Milwidsky

Milwidsky said that the intimate photos were photoshopped and claimed that they were released to harm his political career.

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a discussion at the plenum in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem, July 23, 2025.

Coalition weakens as Religious Zionist Party falls below electoral threshold, survey finds

Amid MK Yuli Edelstein's removal and ongoing stagnation in Gaza, a new poll shows Netanyahu's coalition losing four seats, while the opposition, led by Naftali Bennett, gains significant ground.

|ByMOSHE COHEN

After Eisenkot exodus, another lawmaker leaves Gantz's Blue and White party

MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen announced her resignation from Blue and White on Thursday, intending to join MK Gadi Eisenkot.

JULY 24, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
National Unity MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen is seen speaking with Zvika Klein (not pictured) at The Jerusalem Post's Democracy 2023 conference, on January 24, 2023.

Likud seeks inquiry into foreign funding of Israeli protests

The move comes days after Likud issued a statement citing what it called “astonishing revelations” contained in an official document recently published by the US Congress.

JULY 24, 2025ByAVI SOLOMON, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israelis protest against Benjamin Netanyhahu's government in Jerusalem, March 23, 2025

'Enlistment=Genocide': Haredi protesters assault police in Jerusalem, block city entrance

Hundreds of protestors blocked the roads near Chords Bridge with signs saying "Death before conscription," and "War on the draft law."

JULY 23, 2025BySHIR PERETS
HAREDI DEMONSTRATORS protest in Jerusalem on July 23, 2025.

'A stab in the back to IDF troops': Opposition decries Bismuth appt

Bismuth's designation as the new chairman for the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee sparked a heated reaction from the opposition, who called it a "back stab to the IDF troops and reservists".

JULY 23, 2025ByELIAV BREUER, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
MK Boaz Bismuth leads National Security committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament on March 10, 2025.

Knesset approves declaratory measure to apply Israeli sovereignty to West Bank

According to Israeli law, the current status of the territories it captured from Jordan in the Six-Day War, save for east Jerusalem, is that of a “temporary belligerent occupation.”

JULY 23, 2025ByELIAV BREUER
Jewish settlers set up tents and Israeli flags outside the village of Bruqin, west of Salfit, in the northern West Bank, May 23, 2025.

Bismuth elected new Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee head

Netanyahu announced that MK Hanoch Milwidsky will become ‘temporary’ Finance Committee head.

JULY 23, 2025ByELIAV BREUER
MK Boaz Bismuth attends a Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem July 8, 2025

Likud MKs jostle for Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairmanship

With at least six MKs aiming for the position of FADC chairman, including Yuli Edelstein, who's aiming to keep the position, the vote pitted MKs in the party against each other.

JULY 22, 2025ByELIAV BREUER
Benjamin Netanyahu and Yuli Edelstein seen at the Knesset on November 4, 2021

New haredi draft proposal by reservist NGOs gains traction on Knesset, still no clear framework

According to the proposal, all haredi men will receive draft summons and be required to serve in the IDF, although the outline does not explain why it would be limited to men.

JULY 22, 2025ByELIAV BREUER
Ultra-Orthodox Jews clash with police outside the IDF Recruitment Center at Tel Hashomer, central Israel, April 28, 2025

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef's attacks on Edelstein ignore his sacrifices for Judaism - opinion

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef seems to ignore who Yuli Edelstein really is: someone who physically risked his life for the observance of Torah and mitzvot.

JULY 22, 2025ByASHER MAOZ
Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef during a shaharit prayer in the northern Israeli city of Tzfat, September 17, 2024.

Israel's Constitution Committee debates revised NGO funding bill

The initial version of the bill that passed a preliminary vote in February would have slapped an 80% tax on “foreign state entity” donations to NGOs.

JULY 21, 2025ByELIAV BREUER
A plenum session on the state budget in the assembly hall of the Israeli parliament, December 16, 2024.

Netanyahu's Likud to remove Edelstein from key committee over haredi draft fallout

A replacement for Edelstein on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee may be willing to make concessions that Edelstein was not willing to make, thus allowing the bill to proceed.

JULY 21, 2025ByELIAV BREUER
Benjamin Netanyahu and Yuli Edelstein seen at the Knesset on November 4, 2021