The 26th Knesset convened for its inaugural session on Tuesday, swearing in 120 lawmakers as President Isaac Herzog warned against another round of elections amid ongoing coalition negotiations following the October 27 elections.
The 26th Knesset includes 47 first-time MKs and 33 women, along with lawmakers who are victims and bereaved family members of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. The Knesset also swore in its youngest-ever MK, Yonathan Shalev, 24, a member of the B'Yachad party.
Addressing the parliament's inaugural session, Herzog called on the 26th Knesset to prioritize national unity, compromise, and stability, urging lawmakers to do everything possible to avoid another election.
Herzog said Israelis were “thirsty for routine, security, and tranquility,” and called on lawmakers to turn the solidarity shown during October 7 and the subsequent war into cooperation and effective governance.
In his address, the president stressed that "Everything possible must be done to avoid another election."
MKs accuse each other of politicizing swearing-in ceremony, trade barbs
Democrats MK Gilad Kariv left the plenum during the swearing-in ceremony, accusing Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana of giving a politicized speech to the new Knesset.
All 120 members of Knesset declared their allegiance as the Knesset secretary called each lawmaker's name, with members rising in turn to make the declaration.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, disrupted Joint List leader MK Yousef Jabareen's pledge of allegiance during the ceremony, accusing him of "pledging allegiance to Hamas" and prompting a heated exchange on the Knesset floor.
Knesset members from the Joint List walked out immediately following the swear-in, as "Hatikva," Israel's national anthem, was being sung.
Ra'am chairman MK Mansour Abbas notably remained standing for the anthem, along with his fellow Ra'am faction members.
Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman attacked the Arab parties and their potential allies, saying "You want to form a government with them?" in a post on X/Twitter.
Following the plenum session, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech at the ceremonial toast in which he said that Iran was working to renew its nuclear threat, and that "the only way to permanently remove this existential threat is through the downfall of the Ayatollah regime."
Netanyahu also warned that Israel will imminently face international pressure to accept Iran as a nuclear power and "to tolerate the terrifying regime seeking its destruction."
He also added that Israel can be expected to be pressured to "retreat from its monumental achievements and from the major progress made regarding security zones."
The prime minister then urged Knesset members to set aside other priorities and considerations, reiterating his call to form a national unity government and insisting that only such a government can face these challenges.
Netanyahu's speech was interrupted by B'Yachad party leader Naftali Bennett, who shouted at him, "What about your Qatari advisers? What about investigating October 7?"
Bennett's remarks drew an inaudible response from Netanyahu's wife, Sara, and son, Yair, who were in attendance.
Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, called the speech "delusional, divisive, hate-filled, and shameful," and accused Netanyahu of abusing his platform at the 26th Knesset swear-in.
Eisenkot added that the address further convinced him that the prime minister must be replaced and is "unfit to remain in office for even one more minute."
He urged the Knesset to establish a national emergency government, claiming that Netanyahu's rule jeopardizes the security of the state.
How the Knesset swearing-in ceremony unfolded
The day's events began early in the morning when the newly elected lawmakers arrived at the Knesset. Each member received a ceremonial flower to pin to their lapel before posing for commemorative photographs with family members in a designated area.
Herzog arrived in the afternoon at the Knesset plaza accompanied by a motorcycle escort and mounted horse guards, where he was greeted by Ohana.
Herzog then lay a wreath bearing the State of Israel's emblem at the memorials to fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror attacks at the Knesset plaza.
Ohana accompanied the president as he entered the building, alongside an honor guard and the IDF Orchestra, which played trumpet fanfares and the national anthem.
Herzog also signed the Knesset's Book of Presidents in the entrance hall to the office of Ohana.
The swearing ceremony comes as coalition negotiations continue following Herzog's decision to task Eisenkot with the mandate to form the next government.
The election results showed Netanayhu's bloc and the bloc seeking to replace the prime minister lack the 61-seat majority required to form a government. Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats in the next Knesset, while the opposition bloc won 48 without the Arab parties, who gained a record-breaking 19 seats.
The opposition bloc has also been working to replace Ohana, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party, immediately after the swearing-in of the new Knesset, in order to gain control over the Knesset's legislative agenda.