The Froumine House in Jerusalem: The Knesset's home from 1950 to 1966

Knesset Speaker Joseph Shprinzak:

I would like to mark that this sitting completes a year – the first year – of the establishment of the First Knesset of the State of Israel.

On the 15th of Shvat 1949, in this hall in Jerusalem, the hall of the Zionist conventions and where the first President of the State of Israel was elected, a new authority was established, the people’s authority – a Hebraic house of representatives that was given power of attorney by the people, through democratic and free elections.

On the 15th of Shvat 1949, the people’s representatives were furnished with the planting of orchards of life and creation within the renewing people and country.

The First Knesset was obliged with the determination of laws, the expression of thoughts and desires of the citizens of this country, and to give orders to the Government of Israel on matters relating to the state’s administration and defense.

With acknowledgment of our duty to the people and for future times, we began fulfilling our duty while under difficult existential, yet inspiring conditions of the construction of the state and the return of the nation’s exiles to their country. The training we had to fulfill this role was in our Zionist consciousness and our faith in the powers of the nation.

We will fulfill our mission to the best of our abilities and will. There may be, and probably will be, evaluations on the first year of the Knesset’s existence. There may be different assessments of the work procedures, the pace, and the outcomes and achievements of the first year.

Nonetheless, above and beyond all evaluations, we are facing a living fact – the creation and stabilization of the Hebraic parliament, the democratic house of representatives in Israel.

And this is the grand outcome – the great contribution for days to come, that the Knesset contributed through its work during the first year of its existence.

It is not an easy task to bridge the different opinions and desires found in Israel and form a continuous mutual working environment through different, separate, and sometimes contradicting, thoughts on the proper ways and means to achieve the wanted goal. It is a fact, however, that this combination is necessary for the rising nation. The continuous mutual work is sowing roots, and there were numerous times in the past year in which we have had not only decisive conclusions, but also great times of consolidation and elevation for the unified Hebraic will.

It is not for us, of course, to praise ourselves and evaluate our actions. The Knesset Minutes tells our story to our electors, and accordingly, the nation will evaluate the actions of its representatives. Even so, I do think we are entitled to mention one more contribution we tried to provide for improving the people’s lives. Our general unifying goal is clear: To realize the collective settlement of the Diaspora, to fortify the order and security of the state and to determine adequate foundations for an honest, pure and just life in this country – the land of the forefathers, the prophets and the pioneering sons of the present day. Yet in our work towards achieving our goal, there is still one fundamental wish: That our lives will be dignified and of good taste.

During the first year of the Knesset’s existence, we have tried to induce relations of dignity and decorum in its discussion, procedures and the initial customs of our parliamentary work. I believe that this mainly how we acquired the people’s appreciation of our Knesset and the fondness of the nation in the Diaspora.

There were surely faults and times of anger, but all in all we intended to provide the Hebraic house of legislators with dignity and honor. When I say this, I see before me several lines that were addressed to me in a letter. The letter was written by a group of teenagers, complaining about the difficulty of entering Knesset sittings:

"We do not understand why we should be denied entering the sitting of our elected representatives. Everywhere we went under siege and battle, in times of peace as in times of war, we were the liaison that passed on the torches of bravery across the country; and now, we are not even allowed to hear the words of the people's representatives!

We are high-school pupils preparing for days to come, we are the 'citizens of tomorrow,' who want begin and learn of the problems found in our state."

Gentlemen! We do not only attend to the immense work of the present, but we must see before us the “citizens of tomorrow”: Not only those who elect our factions and parties, but also those who communicate and criticize the work of the first Knesset of Israel. For this reason there is great importance in dignity and good taste in the Knesset's manners.

A year has passed since the establishment of the Knesset; an important year in the new chronicles of Israel. Towards the new year, the second of the Knesset, let us say this prayer for ourselves and for our abilities:

May the new year provide the people and the State with power and strength; may the new year of the Knesset’s work provide us with the right realization of the orders and directives provided by the Constituent Assembly; may there be an increase in the strength of the capability and ability of the Knesset – the carrier of the people’s authority in Israel!