New Jewish Home MKs Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan and M
New Jewish Home MKs Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan and MFlash 90

Israel’s 48 new MK-elects made their first visit to the Knesset building on Sunday morning, where they underwent a “crash course” to learn the rules. The 48 took part in a crash course in Knesset etiquette and regulations.

This year's national elections broke several records, among them in the number of complete newcomers to the Knesset. 19 of the 48 newcomers are all from the newly-formed Yesh Atid, a party which prided itself on having a list that is made up entirely of new politicians.

Other records broken in the elections are a rise in religiously-observant lawmakers, and in women. Among the new lawmakers joining the 19th Knesset this year 38 are observant members. In addition, 26 women have joined Israel’s new parliament, another record-setting increase from 21 in the 18th Knesset.

The seminar for the new MKs was led by the Speaker of the 18th Knesset, MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud) as well as by veteran MK Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor), who will serve as the Acting Speaker of the 19th Knesset until a permanent Speaker (likely to be Rivlin once again) is chosen.

Before the start of the seminar, Rivlin said, “Never in the history of the Knesset was there such a turnover of Knesset members between terms. The public has shown that it monitors the Knesset members closely, and anyone who does not fulfill his mission properly finishes his job after only one term.”

The 19th Knesset will be officially sworn in on Tuesday afternoon.