Israel's 21st parliament (Knesset) held its opening session on Tuesday afternoon with the 120 lawmakers elected in the country's April 9 national elections taking the oath of office.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in following his victory in the April 9 elections and will seek to form a governing coalition in the days ahead.
"Today we are overcome by the spirit of unity of the people we represent, the people who have decided in democratic elections and have imposed on us all the important mission to act on its behalf and for its sake," Netanyahu said.
President Reuven Rivlin delivered a speech opening the new Knesset's first plenary session, calling upon members to set aside political differences raised in the contentious election season that saw a lot of name-calling and criminal accusations of corruption as well as sexual harassment.
"We have worked overtime in the service of delegitimization, hatred and execration. Now, it's over. Enough. Time to rise up, to put down the cudgels of elections and clean up the mess," he said.
He demanded that both the opposition and the ruling majority lay down their guards and unite in order to serve the Israeli public.
"One should lose gracefully and one should win gracefully. You are not in the opposition. You have held the keys of power and leadership for a long time. As such, your responsibility is to let up on eliminating your opponents, to let up on the feeling of being the victim, and to govern all the citizens and communities who live here with respect and with love," Rivlin told Netanyahu and his allies.
He further called for unity across Israel's demographic sectors.
"Now is the time to fight for our common home where secular, religious, ultra-Orthodox, Jews and Arabs – yes, they are called Arabs and there is nothing wrong with saying it – Right and Left, can find themselves equal," he said.
Rivlin also spoke of the importance of the separation of powers between the legislature and the judiciary in the wake of a strengthening current among right-wing factions to restrict some of the traditional powers of the Supreme Court of Israel.
Yuli Edelstein, who is resuming his role as Knesset speaker for a third consecutive term, followed up Rivlin with his own speech, emphasizing the need for a more productive parliament with higher values and robust ethics committee.
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 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.
Netanyahu 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.
