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Knesset

Knesset
Editorial visualStatecraft

The Knesset is the unicameral national legislature of the State of Israel. Seated in Jerusalem, its 120 members are elected by nationwide proportional representation. It enacts laws, oversees the government, approves the cabinet and budget, and elects the president and state comptroller.

The Knesset (Hebrew: הכנסת, "the assembly") is the unicameral national legislature of the State of Israel, seated in Jerusalem on the Givat Ram hill. It first convened on 14 February 1949 and is composed of 120 members, a number traditionally linked to the ancient Knesset HaGedolah (Great Assembly).

Members are elected for four-year terms through proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency, with an electoral threshold of 3.25%; early elections are common. The Knesset's principal functions are legislation, oversight of the government, and representation. It approves the cabinet and the state budget, can express no confidence in the government, and elects the president of the state and the state comptroller.

Because Israel has no single written constitution, the Knesset also acts as a constituent assembly, enacting Basic Laws that carry quasi-constitutional standing. The chamber is led by a Speaker; as of 2026, Amir Ohana (Likud) serves as Speaker of the 25th Knesset, which was elected in November 2022.

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