BICOM

A festive ceremony took place yesterday afternoon to mark the opening of the nineteenth Knesset, which includes a record 48 first-time parliamentarians and an all-time high number of 27 female Knesset members.

Around one thousand guests attended a reception, including foreign diplomats and the families of Knesset members. Many brought their children including Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Jewish Home head Naftali Bennett, who were also accompanied by their mothers. President Shimon Peres inspected an honour guard before the assembled crowd entered the plenum where the swearing-in ceremony began with a rendition by popular Israeli singer Kobi Aflalo.

Addressing the lawmakers, Peres reminded them “The Knesset is not above the nation, it represents the nation.” He also said that they must address “the nation’s expectation for social reform,” but warned, “we are facing grave challenges which may prove to be existential threats or the gateway to new possibilities,” specifically mentioning the Iranian nuclear threat.

Prime Minister Netanyahu also took to the podium and imparted two pieces of advice to his fellow legislators. He said, “We are all human and need to respect one another. If we do, the public will respect us,” and added, “Second, in trying times, we should put political fights aside and know to be united for the joint goal of ensuring the security and future of our country.”

Meanwhile, parliamentary business has already begun, with three MKs submitting legislation on day one. Labour’s Nachman Shai submitted thirty bills, many of which did not pass in the last Knesset, while another Labour representative Michal Biran submitted three pieces of legislation relating to public pensions, contract workers and the budget. Jewish Home’s Ayelet Shaked proposed a bill disqualifying an enemy country’s citizen from suing the state.