The 26th Knesset will officially open on Tuesday with a festive session in the Knesset plenum, during which all 120 members will be sworn into office. The ceremony will be attended by President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with senior state officials and family members of the newly elected lawmakers.
One of the highlights of the ceremony will be the recitation of Psalm 122 by Avi Harush, father of the late Sgt. Reef Harush, who fell in battle in southern Gaza in April 2024. During the session, excerpts from Israel's Declaration of Independence, read in David Ben-Gurion's voice, will be played on screens in the plenum. The ceremony will conclude with a performance of Israel's national anthem, "Hatikvah," by the Pirchei Ashkelon children's choir.
Preparations for the ceremony will begin at 8:00 a.m., when members of the Knesset start arriving at the building. Each lawmaker will receive a ceremonial flower to wear on their lapel and will have an opportunity to take photographs with family members in an area specially prepared for the occasion. Official portraits of all MKs will also be taken for use in Knesset publications and attendance boards throughout their terms.
The lawmakers will also be greeted by "Mr. Weil" and "Mrs. Chagall," two robots that recently joined the educational staff of the Knesset Visitors Center.
The official ceremony will begin at 3:20 p.m. in the Knesset plaza. President Herzog will arrive accompanied by a motorcycle escort and mounted horsemen and will be welcomed by Knesset Speaker Ohana.
The Knesset Guard will conduct an honor parade accompanied by trumpet fanfares from the IDF Orchestra. Following the raising of the presidential standard, Herzog and Ohana will inspect the honor guard. The President will then lay a wreath at the memorial honoring Israel's fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism in the Knesset plaza.
Following the outdoor ceremony, the President and Knesset Speaker will proceed to the entrance of the Speaker's office, where Herzog will sign the Presidents' Book, in which Israeli presidents traditionally write a message of blessing to each incoming Knesset.
The festive plenary session will begin at 4:00 p.m. Knesset Secretary General Dan Marzouk will announce, "Mr. President," and those present will rise as three trumpet fanfares are sounded.
President Herzog will open the session with three strikes of the gavel and deliver an address. He will then invite Knesset Speaker Ohana to take the oath of office before handing over the chairmanship of the session.
Following Ohana's remarks, the swearing-in ceremony for the members of the Knesset will begin. The Knesset Secretary will call the names of all 120 elected lawmakers, who will rise one by one and declare, "I pledge."
After the session, the traditional group photograph of the leaders of the parties elected to the Knesset will take place in the Chagall Lounge. Knesset Speaker Ohana and Prime Minister Netanyahu will address the gathering, and singer Harel Skaat will perform the songs "Hineni Kan" ("Here I Am") and "Derech Aruka" ("A Long Road").
The celebrations will conclude with a blessing over wine by the Knesset Speaker and a festive toast marking the beginning of the 26th Knesset's term.