18th Knesset sworn in

The new Knesset has more Arabs and women, but fewer observant Jews and professors.

The 120 members of the 18th Knesset were sworn in today. The new Knesset includes more lawyers, women, and Arabs, but fewer observant Jews and professors than the 17th Knesset.

The 18th Knesset has 24 lawyers and people with law degrees compared with 18 in the 17th Knesset. Four MKs have the title of professor: Avishai Braverman and Yuli Tamir of the Labor Party, Daniel Hershkowitz (Jewish Home), and Arieh Eldad (Yisrael Beiteinu). It also has three former IDF chiefs of staff: Ehud Barak (Labor), Shaul Mofaz (Kadima), and Moshe Yaalon (Likud).

The 18th Knesset has five former journalists: Shelly Yacimovich and Daniel Ben Simon (Labor), Uri Orbach (Jewish Home), Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), and Anastassia Michaeli (Yisrael Beiteinu). They are joined by two former IDF spokesmen: Miri Regev (Likud) and Nachman Shai (Kadima).

The 18th Knesset has 21 women: seven in Kadima, including chairwoman Tzipi Livni; five each in the Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu; three in the Labor Party; and one from Balad, who is Israel's first ever Arab woman to serve in the Knesset on an Arab list - Hanin Zuabi. Previous Knessets included Arab women elected on Meretz and the Labor Party tickets. The religious parties Shas, United Torah Judiasm, Jewish Home, have no women MKs. Neither does Meretz.

The number of religiously observant Jews has declined to 28 in the 18th Knesset from 34 in the 17th Knesset, while the number of Arab MKs rose to 13 from 12.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 24, 2009

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2009

Twitter Facebook Linkedin RSS Newsletters גלובס Israel Business Conference 2018