The Knesset, Israels parliament, is a single-chamber, 120-member legislature. The Knesset takes its name and the number of its members from the Knesset Hagedolah, the representative Jewish body convened in Jerusalem by Ezra and Nehemiah in the 5th century BCE.

The Knesset is the supreme legislative authority in the State. The Government takes office after formal approval by the Knesset, and must resign if a no-confidence vote by a majority of Knesset members passes in the plenum. The Knesset also elects the President (the head of state, whose tasks are mainly ceremonial) by a majority of its members.

On January 25, 1949, even before the signing of the Armistice Agreements
which formally brought the War of Independence to an end, the Constituent Assembly was elected, and, on February 14, 1949, its first session was convened. The Assemblys first act was the passing of the Transition Law, which constituted the Assembly as the First Knesset and provided for the election of the President of the State. While it was originally envisioned that the Constituent Assembly would enact a constitution for the new State, it was later decided that the constitution would be drawn up chapter by chapter through the enactment of Basic Laws, which in time would become one document, Israels constitution. The Basic Laws already passed are: The Knesset; Israel Lands; The President of the State; The Government; The State Economy; The Army; Jerusalem, Capital of Israel; The Judicature; The State Comptroller; Freedom of Occupation; and Human Dignity and Liberty.

Elections

The Knesset is elected in general, nationwide, direct, equal, secret and proportional elections, in which every citizen over the age of 18 is entitled to vote, regardless of sex, race or religion. All citizens over the age of 21 can stand for election to the Knesset, except judges, civil servants and career army officers.

Since its inception, the Knesset has been elected by a system of proportional representation. The entire country constitutes a single electoral constituency in which voters choose from national lists of candidates. Any party, organization or individual may submit a list provided it is backed by 2,500 eligible voters and the posting of a bond. The party forfeits this deposit if the list does not receive a minimum of 1.5% of the total number of votes cast (the minimum requirement for receiving a Knesset seat). The Knesset seats are distributed according to the proportion of votes received. As no individual party has ever received a majority of Knesset seats, all Governments since the establishment of the State have been based on coalitions of several parties.

The many parties which run for the Knesset reflect a wide range of outlooks and beliefs. Critics of the present system feel that it results in too many parties and as a result produces fragmented, weak coalition governments. Supporters of the system insist that it enables representation in the Knesset of diverse political, ethnic and religious groups in a heterogeneous country, thus strengthening parliamentary democracy.

The election system was significantly altered for the elections to the 14th Knesset in 1996. Previously, the task of forming a government and heading it was assigned by the president to the Knesset member considered to have the best chance of forming a viable coalition government. Under the new system, elections for the Knesset and the Prime Minister are held simultanuously. On election day, each voter casts two ballots, one for the political party to represent him in the Knesset, the other for the Prime Minister. The candidate who receives more than half of the valid votes is the elected Prime Minister. If neither candidate receives more than half of valid votes, a run-off election is held between the two candidates who received the largest number of votes. A public debate regarding the advantages and disadvantages of each method is still going on.

After elections, the oldest member of the Knesset acts as temporary Speaker (chairman) and formally swears in the members. The first action of the Knesset is to elect a Speaker and deputies who represent the major parties, who together form the presidium. Debate takes place principally in Hebrew, but can also be conducted in Arabic, the second official language of the State.

The Prime Minister must be a Knesset member. He must present his government to the Knesset and receive approval by a simple majority of 61. Government ministers need not be members of Knesset, but usually are.

The Knesset functions through plenary sessions and fourteen standing committees, each dealing with a specific aspect of affairs of state. To become law, a bill must pass a preliminary reading and three readings in the Knesset plenum. After the first reading it is referred to the appropriate committee for discussion; is returned to the plenum for a review and second reading; and is voted on after the third reading. The bill must then be signed into law by the minister concerned, the prime minister and the president.

The Knesset is elected for a four-year term, but new elections may be held before its term expires, if it expresses no-confidence in the Prime Minister, by a vote of a majority of its members, or in a number of other situations specified by law.

Authority remains with the outgoing Knesset until a new legislature is elected.

The Knesset may also vote to remove a Prime Minister from office, by a special majority of two-thirds; in this case special elections are held for the position of Prime Minister only.

In order to protect freedom of speech, Knesset members are immune from prosecution, but can be prosecuted if the plenum votes to suspend that immunity.

The First Knesset convened in Jerusalem but it continued to sit, for most of its first year, in Tel Aviv. In December 1949 the Knesset moved to the countrys capital Jerusalem and until 1966 convened in a modest building in the center of town. It then moved to its permanent residence, a large and imposing neo-classical edifice. The Knesset building stands near the western entrance to the city, on a hill overlooking the Hebrew University Givat Ram campus to the west and the Israel Museum to the south. Designed by J. Klarwein and D. Karmi, the building was constructed mainly with funds bequeathed by philanthropist James de Rothschild.

It is approached through a sculpted gate of wrought iron, designed by David Palombo, and a spacious forecourt. The interior, designed by Dora Gad in association with Aryeh L. Noy, uses simple forms, fine, richly-textured materials, and a series of two- and three-dimensional works of art. Its planners felt the need to go beyond the functional aspects of design and underline Israels history, ancient and modern, and the finished building, with its paintings and sculptures, reflects this historical aspect.

Marking fifty years since its establishment, the Knesset has much to be proud of. Though it has a regrettable reputation for vigorous and sometimes belligerent debate, one must recall that these debates deal with issues that are at the heart of the national agenda, inflaming passions and expressing the range of ideas and beliefs of Israels society. Decisions adopted, even after acrimonious debates, are accepted by majority and minority alike the real test of democracy in the Knesset. The Knesset has not only preserved but also promoted democratic values.