Israel's 26th Knesset to be sworn in with prime minister, president in attendance

NOVEMBER 10, 2026 07:38Israel's 26th Knesset will convene for its inaugural session and swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, with President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in attendance.Avi Harush, the father of the late Sgt. Reef Harush, who was killed in combat in the southern Gaza Strip in April 2024, will recite Psalm 122 from the Book of Psalms during the ceremony.Excerpts from Israel's Declaration of Independence, read in the voice of Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, will be shown on screens in the Knesset plenum. The session will conclude with a performance of Israel's national anthem, "Hatikvah," by the Pirchei Ashkelon children's choir.The day's events will begin at 8:00 a.m., when the newly elected lawmakers arrive at the Knesset. Each member will receive a ceremonial flower to pin to their lapel before posing for commemorative photographs with family members in a designated area.The lawmakers will then have their official portraits taken. The photographs will be used throughout their terms in office, appearing in official Knesset publications and on attendance boards throughout the building.A welcome robot in the Knesset entrance hall, Jerusalem, November 2026. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)The incoming lawmakers will also be welcomed by "Mr. Weil" and "Mrs. Chagall," two robots that recently joined the Knesset Visitors Center's team of guides.At 3:20 p.m., an official ceremony will begin in the Knesset plaza, attended by lawmakers and their guests. Ohana will welcome Herzog, who will arrive with a motorcycle escort and mounted horsemen.The Knesset Guard will hold a ceremonial parade in the president's honor, accompanied by trumpet fanfares performed by the IDF Orchestra.The presidential flag will then be raised, after which Herzog and Ohana will inspect the honor guard. The president will also lay a wreath at the memorial to Israel's fallen soldiers and the monument commemorating victims of terrorist attacks, both located in the Knesset plaza.Herzog and Ohana will then proceed to the entrance hall of the Knesset speaker's office, where the president will sign the President's Book, a specially bound volume in which Israel's presidents write messages to each incoming Knesset.The lawmakers will then enter the plenum for the swearing-in ceremony, with family members and senior government officials watching from the galleries.Knesset swearing-in ceremony to begin at 4:00 p.m.At 4:00 p.m., Knesset Secretary-General Dan Marzouk will announce the president's entrance with the words "Mr. President." The audience will rise as three trumpet fanfares sound.Herzog will formally open the session with three strikes of the gavel before delivering remarks. He will then invite Ohana to take the oath of office and hand over the responsibility of presiding over the session to him.After Ohana delivers his remarks, Marzouk will call the names of all 120 lawmakers individually. Each will rise in turn and declare: "I pledge."The traditional group photograph of the leaders of the elected parties will then be taken in the Chagall Hall.Ohana and Netanyahu will also address the gathering, while Israeli singer Harel Skaat will perform "Hineni Kan" ("Here I Am") and "Derech Aruka" ("A Long Road").The event will conclude with Ohana reciting a blessing over wine, followed by a toast to the new Knesset.New lawmakers attend orientation ahead of swearing-inNewly elected lawmakers attended an orientation day on Monday to learn parliamentary procedures, the Knesset's administrative structure, and the responsibilities of their new roles.The program introduced lawmakers to the legislative process, the parliamentary tools available to oversee the government, and the work of the Knesset's various departments.The incoming lawmakers were also offered a guided tour of the building and the opportunity to have photographs taken for their official profiles on the Knesset website and their parliamentary identification cards.Meanwhile, several right-wing organizations are planning to demonstrate outside the Knesset during the swearing-in ceremony.The participating groups include Im Tirtzu, the Mothers' March, and the Reservists Generation of Victory movement, among others.The protest is being held under the slogan: "We do not replace a Knesset speaker with the votes of Hamas supporters."The Knesset Guard, already on heightened alert for the ceremony, is preparing for the demonstrations. However, authorities are not aware of any plans to block lawmakers or other individuals from entering the building.Follow us on Google