Parliament of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
Highlights iclude Israel’s original Declaration of Independence, the Knesset Committee Rooms, the Plenary Chamber where the full Knesset meets and the Chagall Hall, and the location of official state receptions.
View the stature of Israeli democracy, to the Knesset’s roles and responsibilities, and to the works of art displayed throughout the building. The tour visits the Knesset Committees Wing, the Plenary Hall, Chagall Hall, and the exhibit of Israel’s Declaration of Independence.
Less than a year after Israel became a state in 1948, the Knesset, Israel’s parliamentary house, convened for the first time as an official arm of the Israeli government, replacing two previous bodies that acted as legislative arms of the Zionist leadership in Israel. The term Knesset comes from the Hebrew word meaning assembly. The ancient Knesset was a body of 120 religious scholars who operated in ancient Israel. The modern Knesset also has 120 elected members, called MKs or Members of Knesset.
The Knesset Menorah Israeli Parliament BuildingThe Knesset’s permanent home is in the western Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat Ram – near the Israeli Supreme Court, the Jewish National Library, the Israel Museum and other government offices. For close to two decades prior to the current Knesset building’s completion in 1966, the Knesset met in several alternate locations in Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv.
Of special interest are the 12 floor mosaics and the three large, colorful tapestries in the Chagall Hall. The tapestries were designed to represent the story of the Jewish people, and their symbols range from biblical images to the Holocaust.
Visit Israel. Epic Israel Adventure route © Monika & Simon Newbound. All rights reserved 2017
Rate us and Write a Review
Your request has been submitted successfully.
Own or work here?
