Knesset

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

The Legislative Branch of the Israeli Government , the Knesset enacts Law s, 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.

By majority vote the Knesset can pass acts that do not conflict with the Basic Laws , the de facto constitution. Several Basic Laws need special majority of at least 61 MKs, and in some cases 80 MKs, to be amended.

LATEST ELECTION

See Also: 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:
# building, Jerusalem .
#.
# 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.
# 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.
#.
# 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 16^th Assembly ( הכנסת ה 16, ha-Knesset ha-Shesh-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

Liberal s ( 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 Liberal s) 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 ( Elected 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, as of January 2006, consists of: