| August 15, 1955 |
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November 30, 1959
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Selected Events:
| 1.9.1955
| The Prime Minister and Finance Minister delivered a statement on the state of Moroccan Jewry and the North African Aliyah. |
| 18.10.1955
| A debate was held on the attempt to reach a water agreement with the neighboring countries. |
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| 15.4.1956
| The Menorah sculpture, created by Jewish sculptor Beno Elkan, was presented to the Knesset by the Jewish community of England. |
| 9.5.1956
| Herut and Agudat Yisrael factions raised no confidence motions, following the decision to open the Industrial Exposition in Haifa on Shabbat. |
| 6.6.1956
| MK Menahem Begin proposed a law to investigate the circumstances and allegations in the murder of Haim Arlosoroff. |
| 25.7.1956
| The Knesset Presidium, in cooperation with the Israeli Architects and Engineers Association, declared a public competition for the building plans of the permanent Knesset building. |
| 29.10.1956
| The beginning of the Sinai Campaign; the Kafr Qasim massacre: A Border Police unit ordered the village to be put under curfew, later opening fire on a group of citizens asking to return to their homes, causing 43 fatalities, among them women and children.
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| 7.11.1956
| Prime Minister David Ben Gurion announced the conclusion of the Sinai Campaign, adding that “we have returned to the place where the Torah was given” and that “the previous border with Egypt is now obsolete and Israel is willing to begin peace negotiations with Egypt.” |
| 26.11.1956
| The first private member’s bill was ratified: The Law Council Ordinance (Amendment) Law, proposed by MK Moshe Unna. |
| 28.11.1956
| An announcement was made by the Prime and Defense Minister regarding the persecution of Egyptian Jewry.
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| 12.12.1956
| The Prime Minister declared the Kfar Kassem massacre is “a horrifying atrocity that has occurred amongst us.” |
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| 15.1.1957
| A no confidence motion was raised by the Herut faction regarding the “national tragic news” of the decision to retreat from the Sinai. |
| 13.2.1957
| The Herut faction proposed the first Referendum Law, following the withdrawal from the Sinai. |
| 3.3.1957
| Dr. Israel Kastner was shot in Tel Aviv; 300 men were interrogated. |
| 29.5.1957
| The Knesset discussed the continuing strike at the “Atta” textile factories (the strike began on May 10th and lasted three months).
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| 22.7.1957
| The Prime Minister informed the Knesset, based on a letter by the widow of Baron James De Rothschild, that the Baron designated 6,000,000 Israeli lira for the construction of a permanent Knesset building. |
| 24.7.1957
| The judiciary board of the architects’ competition unanimously selected Joseph Klarwin to design the new Knesset building. |
| 29.10.1957
| A hand grenade was thrown into the plenum – Minister of Religions Moshe Shapiro was severely injured; Prime Minister Ben Gurion and ministers Golda Meir and Moshe Carmel were also wounded; the attacker was previously hospitalized for mental illness. The event led to the formation of the Knesset Guard, as well as placing a protective glass shield surrounding the plenum.
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| A Selection of Enacted Laws |
| | Plant Protection Law, 5716-1956 |
| | Collective Agreements Law, 5717-1957 |
| | Settlement of Labor Disputes Law, 5717-1957 |
| | Invalids (Nazi Persecution) Law, 5717-1957 |
| | Basic Law: The Knesset |
| | Welfare Services Law, 5718-1958 |
| | State Comptroller Law, 5718-1958 (Consolidated Version) |
| | Council for Higher Education Law, 5718-1958 |
| | Employment Service Law, 5719-1959 |
| | Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day Law, 5719-1959 |
| | Invalids (Pensions and Rehabilitation) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Law, 5719-1959 |
| | Water Law, 5719-1959 |
| | Encouragement of Capital Investment Law, 5719-1959 |
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Overview
The Third Knesset officiated for a period of four years, during which the Seventh and Eighth Governments were formed, both headed by David Ben Gurion. The formation of the Seventh Government took three months, and Ben Gurion succeeded forming a government comprised, for the first time, of all the workers’ parties – the Workers’ Party of Eretz Yisrael (Mapai), the United Workers’ Party (Mapam) and Ahdut Ha’avoda. The Government was later dissolved following failed attempts to prevent leaks from government meetings and to obtain coalition discipline. The Eighth Government was dissolved following the votes of Mapam and Ahdut Ha’avoda against the government policy to sell arms to Germany (which had no diplomatic relations with Israel at the time), while refusing to resign from the government.
One of the significant changes in the political system after the elections to the Third Knesset was the establishment of a list called the National Religious Front that united the national religious parties, Mizrahi and Hapo’el Mizrahi; in contrast, Ahdut Ha’avoda and the United Worker’s Party ran in the elections separately.
The Third Knesset’s tenure began with an increase in terrorist attacks by the Palestinian “Fedayeen” and an acceleration in the arming of Egypt by the Soviet Union. The Sinai Campaign – an Israeli military act against Egypt in October 1956 – was took place with the assistance of France and Great Britain, who fought at the Suez Canal area. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip and most of the Sinai Peninsula under international pressure, and UN forces were stationed along the border and the Gaza Strip. Withdrawal was completed in March 1957. The United Workers’ Party, a member of the coalition, had objected to the operation but remained in the Government, while the Herut faction of the opposition objected to the Israeli withdrawal and accused Prime Minister Ben Gurion of defeatism.
Shortly before the Sinai Campaign, the Kfar Kassem Massacre occurred, in which a unit of the Border Police fired at Arab citizens who were not aware of the curfew in the village. Those responsible were prosecuted and arrested, but their sentence was reduced, and they were released in 1960. This affair clouded over the Jewish-Arab relations in Israel for many years.
The minorities in Israel – Arabs and Druze – were still living at this period under military government, restricting their freedom of movement. The political objection to the military government was led not only by the Israeli Communist Party, but also, surprisingly, by MK Menahem Begin, who emphasized that the State of Emergency Regulations were upheld by the British Mandate on its Jewish citizens.
Political parties objecting to Israel’s pro-western orientation were protesting not only against the French-British-Israeli cooperation in the Sinai Campaign, but also on Israel’s public support of Eisenhower’s doctrine, promising American aid to all countries threatened by the Soviet Union. When the Government’s policy was presented for the Knesset’s approval on June 3rd 1957, Ahdut Ha’avoda and the United Workers’ Party abstained as a sign of their objection, while Herut abstained for its support in a more determined pro-American policy. Six months later, the three factions were united again, in their objection to Israel’s relations with the Federal Republic of Germany. The refusal of the two parties to subject themselves to coalition discipline led to Ben Gurion’s resignation. The Israeli-German relations issue later led, as previously mentioned, to the resignation of the Eighth Government.
During the Third Knesset, the religious parties were occupied, as in the past, with the issue of the desecration of Shabbat. Furthermore, the National Religious Front caused a governmental crisis over the Ministry of Interior’s regulations on the definition of “Who is a Jew,” which exceeded the definition of the Halacha (Jewish Law). This matter led to the resignation of its two ministers in June 1959, but Ben Gurion was prompted to cancel the new regulations and the party returned to the coalition. The “Who is a Jew” issue was raised again in 1970, upon the ratification of an amendment to the Law of Return.
In legislation, particular notice should be given to the passing of the first basic law (The Basic Law: The Knesset) on February 12th 1958. In addition, the General Zionist faction presented the Knesset with a proposal for a change in the electoral system, suggesting election of representatives on both proportional and regional bases. This bill was rejected, but similar suggestions were brought in later years.
The day following the reelection of Yitzhak Ben-Zvi as President of the State, on October 28th 1957, a mentally disturbed man threw a hand grenade into the Knesset plenum. Several ministers, including the Prime Minister, were injured. This event led to the initiation of more strict security measures in the Knesset, and in 1959 the Knesset Guard was formed.
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| 22.4.1958
| A festive plenum sitting marked ten years of independence of the State of Israel. |
| 1.7.1958
| Governmental crisis on the issue of “Who is a Jew”. The ministers of the National Religious Party resigned, creating a rift in the coalition. |
| 14.10.1958
| The cornerstone of the Knesset building was laid at the Government Complex in Jerusalem. |
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| 6.4.1959
| A no confidence motion was introduced by Maki, the National Religious Party, Herut, and the General Zionists factions, following the false military mobilization call on April 1st, which caused panic in Israel and a state of alertness in Syria and Jordan.
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| 13.7.1959
| Minister of Police Bechor Sheetrit reported on the Wadi Salib disturbances, which broke out in Haifa on July 8th, on grounds of social agitation and a sense of discrimination among citizens of Sephardic origin. |
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