The newly elected Knesset, Israel’s fourth Parliament since the establishment of the state, convened this afternoon and elected Kaddish Luz, leader of Premier Ben-Gurion’s Mapai party, as Speaker of the House. Mr. Luz was Minister of Agriculture in the outgoing Cabinet.
Prior to Mr. Luz’s election as Speaker, his resignation from the government was announced by Premier Ben-Gurion. With the Communist deputies abstaining, Mr. Luz was elected by 112 votes. The Communists explained their abstention as an expression of protest for not including one of their members among the Deputy Speakers.
The President’s flag was borne into the Knesset–which still convenes in the improvised foyer of premises intended for a bank–as the distinguished guests took their seats. They included all ex-members of the previous houses, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim, members of the Supreme Court and former French Premier Pierre Mendes-France, currently visiting Israel.
After reviewing the Knesset’s guard of honor. President Ben-Zvi entered the chamber and in a brief address, welcomed the new and veteran legislators, and wished them a productive session. Former Speaker Nahum Nir was then invited to preside as the oldest member of the house. He called on each member alphabetically to take the oath and maintain the laws of the State. Interpreters translated the entire proceedings via an earphone system for the benefit of the seven Arab members.
Both President Ben-Zvi and Mr. Nir paid tribute to the late Speaker of the Knesset. Yosef Sprinzak, Deputy Speaker Israel Rokach and other members who died during the past year. The new Speaker, Mr. Luz, who is 64, was born in Bobroisk, Russia, and studied at universities in Esthonia and France. He was an officer of the Russian Army during World War I and was later one of the leaders of the labor movement in Palestine.
There are 12 parties in the Fourth Knesset, nine of them Jewish and three Arab–one Moslem, one Christian-Arab and one Druze. The three Arab parties are all pro-Mapai and generally vote with Mapai.
There were fewer women in this Knesset than in the three preceding assemblies–only nine women having won seats. Esther Wilenska, the Communist leader who served in every Israeli parliament, failed of election to this one. The youngest member of the house is Moshe Benjamin Nissim, 23, son of the Sephardic Chief Rabbi, who was elected on the General Zionist ticket.
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