The 25th Knesset is underway: This morning (Tuesday), Knesset members will arrive for a day full of ceremonies and events at the Mishkan - culminating in a declaration of allegiance, during the opening session.
Ahead of the festive opening session, Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy decided on a number of changes to the ceremony: On the 14th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Chabad house in Mumbai, Moishe Holtzberg will read Psalm 222 from the Book of Psalms.
Moishe, now a 16-year-old yeshiva student, was two years old when a terrorist cell took over the Chabad house. Six of those in the house, including his parents - Rabbi Gabriel and Rebecca Holtzberg, were murdered. Sandra, Moishe's caregiver, managed to escape the scene while carrying him in her arms.
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Another innovation during the festive session: excerpts from the proclamation of the establishment of the State of Israel, in the voice of David Ben-Gurion, will be projected on the central wall of the plenary session. This is the first time that an audio-visual presentation has been held inside the Knesset plenary session.
At the end of the festive yeshiva, the 'Lev Kiryat Gat' choir, which includes children with special needs, will sing 'Hatikva'.
The Tabernacle workers have been polishing it in recent days and preparing it for the festive event.
Below is the order of events and the various complexes through which members of the 25th Knesset will pass:
• First excitement: Starting at 8 a.m., the excited elected representatives will march into the Knesset building; a festive flower will be attached to their lapel and they will be photographed in a special area for a souvenir photo with their family members. From there, they will be directed to a photo booth, where their official photo will be taken, which will accompany them throughout their term in official Knesset publications and on the attendance boards in the building.
• President's Reception Ceremony: At 3:20 p.m., a festive ceremony will begin on the Knesset Plaza, in the presence of Knesset members and their guests. The Knesset Guard of Honor will welcome President Yitzhak Herzog - the first time he will open a new Knesset.
The Knesset Guard will conduct a parade of honor, accompanied by the IDF Orchestra. The President will also be accompanied by a convoy of motorcycles and horsemen. The Speaker of the Knesset, MK Mickey Levy, will greet the President. In the background, the orchestra will play trumpet blasts and the national anthem, and the children of the Hamdat Al-Shaked Elementary School in Mevaseret Zion will wave the national flags in pairs.
Afterwards, the President's flag will be raised and Knesset Speaker Levi and President Herzog will review the honor guard; finally, the President of the State will lay a wreath at the feet of the Gilead in memory of Israel's fallen soldiers, which is placed in the Mishkan plaza.
• From there, they will proceed to the entrance of the Knesset Speaker's office, to sign the Presidents' Book: a special, beautifully bound book in which the presidents of Israel greet the new Knesset. President Herzog will write his words to the elected representatives of the people and read them aloud.
• Next stop - the Knesset plenary session: With excited family members watching in the stands, along with senior state officials, the 120 newly elected members will step into the plenary session hall for the 'Declaration of Allegiance Ceremony'.
At exactly 4:00 PM, the Knesset Secretary, Dan Marzouk, will announce: "Honorable President." The invited audience will rise to its feet, and three trumpet blasts will be heard. The President of the State will open the session with three knocks of the gavel, invite the Speaker of the Knesset, MK Mickey Levy, to declare allegiance, and hand over the management of the session to him.
Then Moishe Holtzberg will read the Psalms and excerpts from the proclamation of the establishment of the State of Israel will be screened.
After the Speaker of the Knesset speaks, the Secretary of the Knesset will call out the name of each member of the Knesset, who in turn will stand and respond: "I undertake." To conclude, the children's choir will sing "Hatikva.".
• Immediately afterwards, the traditional photo session of the heads of the elected lists will take place in the Chagall Lounge, along with the four symbols of government (the Speaker of the Knesset, the President of the State, the Prime Minister, and the President of the Supreme Court).
To conclude, Knesset Speaker MK Mickey Levy will bless the wine and all those present will raise a toast to the life of the new Knesset.
Knesset Speaker, MK Mickey Levy, said ahead of the exciting day: "The inauguration of each new Knesset is an exciting occasion that expresses, above all, the sovereignty of the Jewish people in their land. It is appropriate and necessary to celebrate it with pomp and splendor. I have every hope that the 25th Knesset will be a positive turning point in the discourse and in the way in which Knesset members conduct their debates among themselves.".
Expected schedule tomorrow:
08:00-14:45: First excitement as Knesset members arrive to enter the MKs' residence
15:00-15:40: Welcoming ceremony for the President of the State (due to weather conditions, the ceremony will be held in the Chagall Lounge).
15:40-15:50: The President's greeting to the new Knesset and his signing of the "Book of Presidents""
16:00-17:00: First Knesset session and declaration of allegiance by Knesset members
17:15-18:00: Festive toast, remarks by the Knesset Speaker and the Prime Minister, and the traditional photo session of the heads of the Knesset lists in the Chagall Lounge
