Twelfth Knesset set to inaugurate with record number of new members

The 120 members of the 26th Knesset are scheduled to be formally sworn in at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The session marks the beginning of a new legislative term, which is characterized by a significant influx of new parliamentarians. A total of 46 of the 120 future members of Knesset will be taking their oaths for the first time, representing a substantial portion of the incoming body.

Among the new entrants, 15 come from Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, which has secured 21 seats in total. The composition of the new parliament also reflects a growing trend toward gender diversity, with 33 women set to join the chamber. This figure is an increase from the 29 women who were sworn in when the 25th Knesset began its term in 2022.

The age range of the new parliamentarians is equally notable. The oldest member will be Likud’s Haim Katz, who is set to turn 79 next month. At the other end of the spectrum is Yonatan Shalev of the B’Yachad party. Born in the United States, Shalev is 24 years old and will become the youngest Israeli parliamentarian in history, breaking a record that had been held since 1959 by Moshe Nissim.

Benjamin Netanyahu remains the longest-serving member of the legislature. He has accumulated 35 years of service in the Knesset, having been first elected in 1988. Ahead of the official ceremony, the new members gathered in Jerusalem on Monday for an orientation session to prepare for their upcoming roles.

Several of the new legislators have prominent public profiles, often linked to their personal experiences during the war. B’Yachad’s Noam Tibon is a retired IDF major general who launched a solo mission on October 7, 2023, to rescue his son, journalist Amir Tibon, and his family from Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Likud’s Elisha Madan is an IDF reservist who lost both legs in a blast while fighting in Gaza in 2024.

Other new members have been deeply affected by the captivity and loss of family members. Yisrael Beytenu’s Sharon Sharabi’s brother Yossi was kidnapped on October 7 and later killed in captivity. Her other brother, Eli Sharabi, was held in Gaza for nearly 500 days after his wife and daughters were murdered in Kibbutz Be’eri. Yashar’s Shira Shapiro is the mother of Staff Sgt. Aner Shapiro, who was killed after fending off multiple grenades in a roadside shelter.

The new cohort also includes figures who have drawn public attention for their political stances and backgrounds. Likud’s Jacob Bardugo is a known Netanyahu loyalist, radio host, and commentator on Channel 14. He is recognized for his direct rhetoric and has faced accusations of blackmail from colleagues within his own party.

Otzma Yehudit’s Chanamel Dorfman is a longtime aide to party leader Itamar Ben Gvir. Dorfman has a history associated with settler hilltop youth and has been the subject of several Shin Bet probes and administrative restraining orders from the IDF that previously barred him from the West Bank. These diverse backgrounds highlight the changing dynamics of the incoming legislative body.