Knesset

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

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.

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 1^st assembly" הכנסת הראשונה. The current assembly is the 17^th 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