Israel’s 21st Knesset to be sworn in - i24NEWS and Israel Hayom Staff

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by i24NEWS and Israel Hayom Staff

President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slated to speak.

The Knesset building is decked out with banners marking the opening of the 21st Knesset, Monday | Photo: Oren Ben Hakoon

Israel’s 21st parliament will hold its opening session on Tuesday afternoon with the 120 lawmakers elected in the country’s April 9 national elections taking the oath of office.

President Reuven Rivlin will deliver a speech opening the new parliament’s first plenary session, followed by an address by Yuli Edelstein, who is resuming his role as Knesset speaker for a third consecutive term.

The 120 Members of Knesset (MKs) who will make up the new parliament will then be sworn-in to office, after which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give an address.

Netanyahu earned a fresh mandate and a record fifth term as prime minister in the April 9 ballot, putting him on track to surpass Israel’s founding father, David Ben-Gurion, as the country’s longest-serving leader.

Netanyahu faced a hard-fought battle for the premiership against former army chief and leader of the centrist Blue and White faction Benny Gantz.

While Gantz’s Blue and White list and Netanyahu’s Likud party earned 35 seats each in the vote, the collective majority of right-wing parties left the incumbent better positioned for form a government.

He is expected to assemble what analysts say will be a staunchly right-wing coalition, bolstered by a strong ultra-Orthodox bloc and the inclusion of far-right elements which gained traction thanks to a Netanyahu-brokered consolidation deal.

This article was originally published by i24NEWS. Read more at https://www.i24news.tv/en.


i24NEWS and Israel Hayom Staff

Source: https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/04/30/israels-21st-knesset-to-be-sworn-in/

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