The Knesset Museum was opened on Monday in an official ceremony with the participation of Israel’s state leaders. The museum is located at Beit Froumine (“Froumine House”), on 24 King George Street in central Jerusalem, which housed the First Knesset. The historic building, which served as the residence of the Knesset from 1950 until 1966, has taken on new life and opened its gates to the general public.
During the museum’s opening ceremony, Speaker of the Knesset MK Amir Ohana (Likud) said, “The Knesset is returning today officially—albeit in a different format—to its historic residence in the heart of our eternal capital, Jerusalem. It appears that the trials we are called upon to meet—the Government, the Knesset, the army and the nation—are no smaller than those that faced our predecessors, who sat here.
“The War of Independence is not over, since there are still those who are working to wipe the Jewish state off the face of the earth, while we are fighting to eradicate the Hamas evil from the face of the earth, while fifty of our hostages are still being held in Gaza and we are fighting on their behalf and are committed to bringing them back. Absolute victory in Gaza is not a slogan, it is a condition for the wellbeing of the next generations,” said speaker mk Ohana.
President of the State Isaac Herzog said, “The declarations of the Prime Minister of Australia and other heads of state on recognition of a Palestinian state are a reward for terrorism. This is a severe and dangerous mistake. When Israel fights against terrorism, it does so for the sake of peace and the free world.”
President Herzog said further, “It’s important for us to remember that the Knesset is the ultimate representation of the sovereign, and for this reason we must preserve its independence and the independence of its members, even when harsh opinions are heard. Mutual respect between the three branches of government must be maintained. We must look at the past and learn from it how, despite the fierce differences of opinion, the Members of Knesset took to heart the state responsibility that was required of them.”
Prime Minister MK Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud): “Many people around the world have become accustomed to seeing us as a victim and have difficulty acknowledging the change we have undergone, as a nation that has taken its fate into its own hands against those who seek to exterminate us.
“At this time, [a time of] great victories over those who sought to destroy us, as we stand before the end of the campaign and are working to overcome the remnants of the Iranian axis and to free all our hostages—we are marking here the fact of our existence and independence in the heart of our eternal capital, Jerusalem.
“In the past, each branch of government knew its place and its role, and there was balance. Israel was a classic parliamentary democracy and operated by means of checks and balances. I hope we can return to the understandings of those days. The people yearn for this; it will benefit everyone,” said the Prime Minister.
Meir Hershkovitz, father of the late Maj. (res.) Netanel Hershkovitz, who fell in battle in the northern Gaza Strip, read out a prayer for the wellbeing of the IDF soldiers and security personnel. His voice broke as he said, “The Holy One, Blessed be He did not say ‘Do not raise your hand against the boy’ [Genesis 22:12] in the case of my son.”
Avishai David, father of hostage Evyatar David, recited a prayer for the wellbeing of the hostages and missing persons. Avi Revah, father of the late Maj. Dvir Revah, who fell in battle in the northern Gaza Strip, read Psalm 20 from the podium.
See here for more on the Knesset Museum. To book tours, visit the museum website (currently in Hebrew).
The museum offers its visitors the experience of serving as “Member of Knesset for a day.” In the museum, the visitors undergo a journey through time—making extensive use of artificial intelligence—starting in the “Roots of Democracy” escape room, and passing through the Government room holding a safe with the secret parliamentary record of David Ben-Gurion’s announcement on the capture of Eichmann. The visitors can take a selfie with large-as-life replicas of President Weizmann and Prime Ministers Golda Meir, Menachem Begin and David Ben-Gurion, whom they encounter in the historic Plenum Hall.
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