New Knesset Sworn In Amidst Political Clashes and Unconventional Moments

The 26th Knesset began its term with a turbulent first day, marked by political confrontations and unusual incidents during the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday. All 120 members took the oath of allegiance, including 46 new lawmakers. Several Arab party lawmakers walked out of the plenum during the national anthem, "HaTikva." Ra'am party chairman Mansour Abbas remained standing but did not sing, while United Torah Judaism chairman Yaakov Asher also reportedly stood without singing. Interim Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech heavily criticized Arab lawmakers, drawing a walkout from Democrats party chairman Yair Golan. Netanyahu accused Arab parties of differing only on "which state should be established on the ruins of the Jewish state." A verbal exchange also occurred between Netanyahu and Hatnuah party head Naftali Bennett, who questioned Netanyahu's stance on Qatar and alleged "Qatari advisors." Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir insulted Bennett, and Netanyahu's wife, Sara, engaged in a heated argument with Bennett, highlighting their known animosity.

The disputes were linked to allegations of foreign influence in the October 27th election, specifically claims that Qatar funneled funds to encourage Arab citizens to vote. Ben-Gvir cited approximately 100 million shekels in cash and fuel vouchers. Netanyahu had previously used these allegations to claim Arab parties "stole" the election, which saw him lose his parliamentary majority due to high Arab voter turnout. However, the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency reportedly found no evidence to support these claims. Despite this, Shin Bet head David Zini, a close Netanyahu associate, sought to question leaders of the Hadash party, including Ayman Odeh, Sami Abou Shahadeh, Mansour Abbas, and Ahmad Tibi. Police stated there were no indications of wrongdoing for these individuals.

Shin Bet representatives reportedly criticized Zini's actions to the public broadcaster Kan, accusing him of fabricating accusations of foreign interference without basis. Amidst the political turmoil, a poignant moment occurred when new lawmaker Elisha Medan, who was wounded and lost both legs during the war in Gaza, received a warm welcome. Lawmakers and attendees rose and applauded him as he took his oath.