thumb|Political system of Israel
The Knesset ( , ; ) is the unicameral legislature of Israel.
The Knesset passes all laws, elects the president and prime minister, approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government, among other things. In addition, the Knesset elects the state comptroller. It also has the power to waive the immunity of its members, remove the president and the state comptroller from office, dissolve the government in a constructive vote of no confidence, and to dissolve itself and call new elections. The prime minister may also dissolve the Knesset. However, until an election is completed, the Knesset maintains authority in its current composition. The Knesset meets in its building in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.
Members of the Knesset are elected nationwide through proportional representation.
Name
The term Knesset is derived from the ancient Knesset HaGdola () or Great Assembly, which according to Jewish tradition was an assembly of 120 scribes, sages, and prophets, in the period from the end of the Biblical prophets to the time of the development of Rabbinic Judaism – about two centuries ending c. 200 BCE. There is, however, no organisational continuity and aside from the number of members, there is little similarity, as the ancient Knesset was a religious, completely unelected body. Members of the Knesset are known in Hebrew as חֲבֵר הַכְּנֶסֶת (Ḥaver HaKnesset), if male, or חַבְרַת הַכְּנֶסֶת (Ḥavrat HaKnesset), if female.
History
The Knesset first convened on 14 February 1949 in Jerusalem following the 20 January elections, replacing the Provisional State Council which acted as Israel's official legislature from its date of independence on 14 May 1948 and succeeding the Assembly of Representatives that had functioned as the Jewish community's representative body during the Mandate era. Before the construction of its current location, the Knesset met in Tel Aviv,
The Knesset building sits on a hilltop in western Jerusalem in a district known as Sheikh Badr before the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, now Givat Ram. The main building was financed by James de Rothschild as a gift to the State of Israel in his will and was completed in 1966. It was built on land leased from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, later purchased in the 1990s. Over the years, significant additions to the structure were constructed, however, these were built at levels below and behind the main 1966 structure as not to detract from the original assembly building's appearance.
Despite numerous motions of no confidence being tabled in the Knesset, a government has only been defeated by one once, when Yitzhak Shamir's government was brought down on 15 March 1990 as part of a plot that became known as "the dirty trick".
However, several governments have resigned as a result of no-confidence motions, even when they were not defeated. These include the fifth government, which fell after Prime Minister Moshe Sharett resigned in June 1955 following the abstention of the General Zionists (part of the governing coalition) during a vote of no-confidence; the ninth government, which fell after Prime Minister Ben-Gurion resigned in January 1961 over a motion of no-confidence on the Lavon Affair; and the seventeenth government, which resigned in December 1976 after the National Religious Party (part of the governing coalition) abstained in a motion of no-confidence against the government.
Timeline
thumb|The Knesset in winter
- 14 February 1949: First meeting of the Constituent Assembly, Jewish Agency, Jerusalem
- 16 February 1949: Name "Knesset" approved for the Constituent Assembly; number of members fixed at 120; the Knesset starts convening in Tel Aviv (first as at what is now the Opera Tower, later at the San Remo Hotel in Tel Aviv)
- 26 December 1949 – 8 March 1950: Knesset moved to Jerusalem; first convened at the Jewish Agency building
- 13 March 1950: Knesset moved to the Froumine House, in King George Street, Jerusalem The Knesset is presided over by a Speaker and Deputy Speakers, called the Knesset Presidium, which currently consists of:
{|class=wikitable
!Position
!Name
!Faction
!Party
|-
|Speaker
|Amir Ohana
|Likud
|Likud
|-
|Deputy
|Nissim Vaturi
|Likud
|Likud
|-
|Deputy
|Meir Cohen
|Yesh Atid
|Yesh Atid
|-
|Deputy
|Hanoch Milwidsky
|Likud
|Likud
|-
|Deputy
|Erez Malul
|Shas
|Shas
|-
|Deputy
|Evgeny Sova
|Yisrael Beiteinu
|Yisrael Beiteinu
|-
|Deputy
|Moshe Solomon
|Religious Zionist Party
|Religious Zionist Party
|-
|Deputy
|Orit Farkash-Hacohen
|National Unity Party
|National Unity Party
|-
|Deputy
|Moshe Roth
|United Torah Judaism
|Agudat Yisrael
|}
Knesset committees
Knesset committees amend bills on various appropriate subjects.
Knesset members are assigned to
committees, while chairpersons are chosen by their members, on recommendation of the House Committee, and their factional composition represents that of the Knesset itself. Committees may elect sub-committees and delegate powers to them, or establish joint committees for issues concerning more than one committee. To further their deliberations, they invite non-voting people, like government ministers, senior officials, and experts in the matter being discussed. Committees may request explanations and information from any relevant ministers in any matter within their competence, and the ministers or persons appointed by them must provide the explanation or information requested.
Permanent committees:
- House Committee
- Finance Committee
- Economic Affairs Committee
- Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
- Interior and Environment Committee
- Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs Committee
- Education, Culture, and Sports Committee
- Constitution, Law and Justice Committee
- National Security Committee
- Committee for Special National Infrastructure Projects and Jewish Religious Services
- Labor and Welfare Committee
- Health Committee
- Science and Technology Committee
- State Control Committee
- Committee on the Status of Women
Special committees:
- Committee on Drug Abuse
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Committee on Foreign Workers
- Committee of Public Inquiries
- Committee for the Supervision of the Fund for Israeli Citizens
- Committee on Young Israelis
- Committee for Bridging Social Gaps in the Periphery
- Central Elections Committee
- Public Petitions Committee
The other committees are the Arrangements Committee and the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee is responsible for jurisdiction over Knesset members who violate the rules of ethics of the Knesset, or are involved in illegal activities outside the Knesset. Within the framework of responsibility, the Ethics Committee may place various sanctions on a member, but is not allowed to restrict a member's right to vote. The Arrangements Committee proposes the makeup of the permanent committees following each election, as well as suggesting committee chairs, lays down the sitting arrangements of political parties in the Knesset, and the distribution of offices in the Knesset building to members and parties.
Caucuses
Knesset members often join in formal or informal groups known as "lobbies" or "caucuses", to advocate for a particular topic. There are hundreds of such caucuses in the Knesset. The Knesset Christian Allies Caucus and the Knesset Land of Israel Caucus are two of the largest and most active caucuses.
Membership
right|thumb|250px|Knesset building (2007)
right|thumb|250px|The Knesset and its surroundings (2022)
The Knesset numbers 120 members, after the size of the Great Assembly. The subject of Knesset membership has often been a cause for proposed reforms. Under the Norwegian Law, Knesset members who are appointed to ministerial positions are allowed to resign and allow the next person on their party's list to take their seat. If they leave the cabinet, they are able to return to the Knesset to take the place of their replacement.
Knesset elections
The 120 members of the Knesset (MKs) are popularly elected from a single nationwide electoral district to concurrent four-year terms, subject to calls for early elections (which are quite common). All Israeli citizens 18 years or older may vote in legislative elections, which are conducted by secret ballot.
Knesset seats are allocated among the various parties using the D'Hondt method of party list proportional representation. A party or electoral alliance must pass an election threshold of 3.25% of the overall vote to be allocated a Knesset seat (in 2022, one seat for every 152,000 votes). Parties select their candidates using a closed list. Thus, voters select the party of their choice, not any specific candidate.
The electoral threshold was previously set at 1% from 1949 to 1992, then 1.5% from 1992 to 2003, and then 2% until March 2014 when the current threshold of 3.25% was passed (effective with elections for the 20th Knesset). As a result of the low threshold, a typical Knesset has 10 or more factions represented. No party or faction has ever won the 61 seats necessary for a majority; the closest being the 56 seats won by the Alignment in the 1969 elections (the Alignment had briefly held 63 seats going into the 1969 elections after being formed shortly beforehand by the merger of several parties, the only occasion on which any party or faction has ever held a majority). As a result, while there have never been more than three numerically major parties at any time and only four parties (or their antecedents) have ever led governments, all Israeli governments have been coalitions.
After an election, the president meets with the leaders of every party that won Knesset seats and asks them to recommend which party leader should form the government. The president then nominates the party leader who is most likely to command the support of a majority in the Knesset (though not necessarily the leader of the largest party/faction in the chamber). The prime minister-designate has 42 days to put together a viable government (extensions can be granted and often are), and then must win a vote of confidence in the Knesset before taking office.
The following is a list of Knesset elections:
- 1949 Israeli Constituent Assembly election
- 1951 Israeli legislative election
- 1955 Israeli legislative election
- 1959 Israeli legislative election
- 1961 Israeli legislative election
- 1965 Israeli legislative election
- 1969 Israeli legislative election
- 1973 Israeli legislative election
- 1977 Israeli legislative election
- 1981 Israeli legislative election
- 1984 Israeli legislative election
- 1988 Israeli legislative election
- 1992 Israeli legislative election
- 1996 Israeli general election
- 1999 Israeli general election
- 2003 Israeli legislative election
- 2006 Israeli legislative election
- 2009 Israeli legislative election
- 2013 Israeli legislative election
- 2015 Israeli legislative election
- April 2019 Israeli legislative election
- September 2019 Israeli legislative election
- 2020 Israeli legislative election
- 2021 Israeli legislative election
- 2022 Israeli legislative election
Current composition
The table below lists the parliamentary factions represented in the 25th Knesset.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2" colspan=2| Name
! rowspan="2"| Ideology
! rowspan="2"| Symbol
! rowspan="2"| Primary demographic
! rowspan="2"| Leader
! colspan="2"| 2022 result
|-
! Votes (%)
! Seats
|-
| style="background:;"|
| Likud
| Conservatism<br/>National liberalism<br/>Right-wing populism
| align=center|
| –
| <br>Prime Minister of Israel
| style="text-align:center;"|23.41%
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| Yesh Atid
| Liberal Zionism<br/>Secularism
| style="text-align:center;" |
| –
| Yair Lapid<br>Leader of the Opposition
| style="text-align:center;"|17.78%
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| Otzma Yehudit
| Kahanism
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan=3|
| –
| Itamar Ben-Gvir<br>Minister of National Security
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan=3|10.83%
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| Religious Zionist Party
| Religious Zionism
| Israeli settlers, Modern Orthodox and Hardal Jews
| Bezalel Smotrich <br> Minister of Finance
|
|-
| style="background:#01AFF0;"|
| Noam
| Religious Zionism<br/>Religious conservatism
| –
| Avi Maoz
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| National Unity
| Zionism
| style="text-align:center;"|
| –
| Benny Gantz
| style="text-align:center;"|9.08%
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| Shas
| Religious conservatism
| align=center|
| Sephardi and<br>Mizrahi Haredim
| Aryeh Deri
| style="text-align:center;"|8.24%
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| United Torah Judaism
| Religious conservatism<br/>Haredi non-Zionism
| style="text-align:center;"|
| Ashkenazi Haredim
| Yitzhak Goldknopf
| style="text-align:center;"|5.88%
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| Yisrael Beiteinu
| Nationalism<br/>Secularism<br/>Conservatism
| style="text-align:center;"|
| Russian-speakers
| Avigdor Lieberman
| style="text-align:center;"|4.49%
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| Ra'am
| Islamism<br/>Conservatism
| style="text-align:center;"|
| Israeli Arab Sunni Muslims, Negev Bedouin
| Mansour Abbas
| style="text-align:center;" |4.07%
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| Hadash–Ta'al
| Israeli Arab interests<br/>Socialism<br/>Secularism
| style="text-align:center;"|
| Israeli Arabs
| Ayman Odeh
| style="text-align:center;" |3.75%
|
|-
| style="background:;"|
| Labor
| Zionism<br>Progressivism<br/>Secularism
| style="text-align:center;" |
| –
| Yair Golan
| style="text-align:center;" |3.69%
|
|-
|}
Historical composition
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="border:solid #000000 1px;font-size:95%;"
|-
| colspan="2" |
{| width="100%" style="font-size:90%;"
| width="40" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
|-
| width="40" | 1949
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 15.83%"|19
| style="background-color: ; width: 38.33%"|46
| style="background-color: #AF0000; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: #808080; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 13.33%"|16
| style="background-color: ; width: 11.67%"|14
|}
|-
| 1951
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 12.50%"|15
| style="background-color: ; width: 37.50%"|45
| style="background-color: #AF0000; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 16.67%"|20
| style="background-color: #808080; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
|}
|-
| 1955
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 7.50%"| 9
| style="background-color: ; width: 8.33%"|10
| style="background-color: ; width: 33.33%"|40
| style="background-color: #AF0000; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.83%"|13
| style="background-color: ; width: 12.50%"|15
| style="background-color: ; width: 9.17%"|11
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
|}
|-
| 1959
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 7.50%"| 9
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 39.17%"|47
| style="background-color: #AF0000; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
| style="background-color: ; width: 14.17%"|17
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.00%"|12
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
|}
|-
| 1961
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 7.50%"| 9
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
| style="background-color: ; width: 35.00%"|42
| style="background-color: #AF0000; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 14.17%"|17
| style="background-color: ; width: 14.17%"|17
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.00%"|12
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
|}
|}
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="border:solid #000000 1px;font-size:95%;"
|-
| colspan="2" |
{| width="100%" style="font-size:90%;"
| width="40" |
|<br>Hadash
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
|-
| width="40" | 1965
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
| style="background-color: #AF0000; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 37.50%"|45
| style="background-color: ; width: 8.33%"|10
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: #808080; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 21.67%"|26
| style="background-color: ; width: 9.17%"|11
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
|}
|-
| 1969
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: #AF0000; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 46.67%"|56
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: #808080; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 21.67%"|26
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.00%"|12
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
|}
|-
| 1973
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: #AF0000; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 42.50%"|51
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 32.50%"|39
| style="background-color: ; width: 8.33%"|10
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
|}
|-
| 1977
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: #AF0000; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 26.67%"|32
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 12.50%"|15
| style="background-color: #808080; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 35.83%"|43
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.00%"|12
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
|}
|-
| 1981
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 39.17%"|47
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: #808080; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 40.00%"|48
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: #5294AE; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
|}
|-
| 1984
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 36.67%"|44
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: #808080; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 34.17%"|41
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: #5294AE; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
|}
|-
| 1988
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 32.50%"|39
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 33.33%"|40
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
|}
|}
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="border:solid #000000 1px;font-size:95%;"
|-
| colspan="2" |
{| width="100%" style="font-size:90%;"
| width="40" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
|-
| width="40" | 1992
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.00%"|12
| style="background-color: ; width: 36.67%"|44
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 26.67%"|32
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
|}
|-
| 1996
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 7.50%"| 9
| style="background-color: ; width: 28.33%"|34
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 26.67%"|32
| style="background-color: ; width: 8.33%"|10
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 7.50%"| 9
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
|}
|-
| 1999
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 8.33%"|10
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 21.67%"|26
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 15.83%"|19
| style="background-color: ; width: 14.17%"|17
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
|}
|-
| 2003
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 15.83%"|19
| style="background-color: ; width: 12.50%"|15
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 31.67%"|38
| style="background-color: ; width: 9.17%"|11
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
|}
|-
| 2006
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 15.83%"|19
| style="background-color: ; width: 24.17%"|29
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 9.17%"|11
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.00%"|12
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.00%"|12
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
|}
|-
| 2009
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.83%"|13
| style="background-color: ; width: 23.33%"|28
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 12.50%"|15
| style="background-color: ; width: 22.50%"|27
| style="background-color: ; width: 9.17%"|11
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
|}
|}
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="border:solid #000000 1px;font-size:95%;"
|-
| colspan="2" |
{| width="100%" style="font-size:90%;"
| width="40" |
|<br>(
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<!--|-->
|}
|-
| width="40" | 2013
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 12.50%"|15
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 15.83%"|19
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.83%"|13
| style="background-color: ; width: 15.00%"|18
| style="background-color: ; width: 9.17%"|11
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.00%"|12
|}
|-
| 2015
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.83%"|13
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 15.00%"|18
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 9.17%"|11
| style="background-color: #808080; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 8.33%"|10
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 25.00%"|30
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
|}
|-
| 2019.04
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 29.17%"|35
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 1.67%"| 2
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 29.17%"|35
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
|}
|-
| 2019.09
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.83%"|13
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 27.50%"|33
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
| style="background-color: ; width: 26.67%"|32
| style="background-color: ; width: 7.50%"| 9
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
|}
|-
| 2020
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 12.50%"|15
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 2.50%"| 3
| style="background-color: ; width: 27.50%"|33
| style="background-color: #808080; width: 0.83%"| 1
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 30.00%"|36
| style="background-color: ; width: 7.50%"| 9
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
|}
|-
| 2021
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.67%"| 8
| style="background-color: ; width: 14.17%"|17
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 25.00%"|30
| style="background-color: ; width: 7.50%"| 9
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
|}
|-
| 2022
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 3.33%"| 4
| style="background-color: ; width: 20.00%"|24
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.00%"|12
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.17%"| 5
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.00%"| 6
| style="background-color: ; width: 26.67%"|32
| style="background-color: ; width: 9.17%"|11
| style="background-color: ; width: 5.83%"| 7
| style="background-color: ; width: 11.67%"|14
|}
|}
<!--{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="border:solid #000000 1px;font-size:95%;"
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| colspan="2" |
{| width="100%" style="font-size:90%;"
| width="40" |
|<br>(
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|
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|}
|-
| width="40" | 2026
|
{| style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-weight:bold; color:white;"
| style="background-color: ; width: 10%"| 12
| style="background-color: ; width: 8.3%"|10
| style="background-color: ; width: 4.1%"|5
| style="background-color: ; width: 10.8%"| 13
| style="background-color: ; width: 7.5%"|9
| style="background-color: #44C5BF; width: 13.3%"| 16
| style="background-color: ; width: 23.3%"|28
| style="background-color: ; width: 8.3%"| 10
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.7%"| 8
| style="background-color: ; width: 6.7%"| 8
|}
|-
|}-->
Knesset assemblies
Each Knesset session is known by its election number. Thus the Knesset elected by Israel's first election in 1949 is known as the First Knesset. The current Knesset, elected in 2022, is the Twenty-fifth Knesset.
- 1st (1949–1951)
- 2nd (1951–1955)
- 3rd (1955–1959)
- 4th (1959–1961)
- 5th (1961–1965)
- 6th (1965–1969)
- 7th (1969–1974)
- 8th (1974–1977)
- 9th (1977–1981)
- 10th (1981–1984)
- 11th (1984–1988)
- 12th (1988–1992)
- 13th (1992–1996)
- 14th (1996–1999)
- 15th (1999–2003)
- 16th (2003–2006)
- 17th (2006–2009)
- 18th (2009–2013)
- 19th (2013–2015)
- 20th (2015–2019)
- 21st (2019)
- 22nd (2019–2020)
- 23rd (2020–2021)
- 24th (2021–2022)
- 25th (2022–)
Tourism
The Knesset holds morning tours in Hebrew, Arabic, English, French, Spanish, German, and Russian on Sunday and Thursday, and there are also live session viewing times on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings.
Security
thumb|right|120px|upright|A member of the Knesset Guard
The Knesset is protected by the Knesset Guard, a protective security unit responsible for the security of the Knesset building and Knesset members. Guards are stationed outside the building to provide armed protection, and ushers are stationed inside to maintain order. The Knesset Guard also plays a ceremonial role, participating in state ceremonies, which includes greeting dignitaries on Mount Herzl on the eve of Israeli Independence Day.
Public perception
A poll conducted by the Israeli Democracy Institute in April and May 2014 showed that while a majority of both Jews and Arabs in Israel are proud to be citizens of the country, both groups share a distrust of Israel's government, including the Knesset. Almost three quarters of Israelis surveyed said corruption in Israel's political leadership was either "widespread or somewhat prevalent". A majority of both Arabs and Jews trusted the Israel Defense Forces, the President of Israel, and the Supreme Court of Israel, but Jews and Arabs reported similar levels of mistrust, with little more than a third of each group claiming confidence in the Knesset.
See also
- Great Assembly
- Elections in Israel
- Politics of Israel
- Knesset Guard
- Knesset Legal Adviser
- List of Arab members of the Knesset
- Lists of Knesset members
- List of Knesset speakers
- List of legislatures by country