BICOM

The nineteenth Knesset is due to officially convene this afternoon with a festive opening session, two weeks after Israel went to the polls.

Around one thousand guests are expected to attend the occasion, including Supreme Court President Asher Grunis, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz, Israel’s chief rabbis and foreign diplomats. President Shimon Peres will begin proceedings by laying a wreath at the parliament’s memorial to fallen soldiers and will be accompanied by an honour guard. He will then lead the assembled MKs into the Knesset plenum for the first official session.

This will be presided over by the Knesset’s temporary speaker and oldest member, Binyamin Ben Eliezer, who is 77-years-old. The Labour Party representative is also the Knesset’s most senior member, having served in the legislature for 29 years. The Knesset’s youngest member, also representing Labour will be Stav Shaffir, who is just 27-years-old.

During the brief session, each member will be required to pledge an oath of loyalty to the state and its laws. Sections of the country’s Declaration of Independence will also be read out before party heads makes a toast to the new Knesset. The nineteenth Knesset will include an unprecedented 48 new members, including all of the second largest party Yesh Atid’s nineteen representatives. A record high number of 27 women will take their parliamentary seats. Knesset members will reportedly be allocated temporary offices to be used until the Knesset goes into a break on 15 March.