At the very height of the War of Independence, the people were called upon to elect 120 representatives and on February 14th, 1949 the first session of Israel’s Legislature – the Knesset – was called to order, in temporary quarters. The corner stone for a permanent home for the Knesset was set in 1958 on a high and rugged hill in the western part of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem the capital, was designated as the seat of the State of Legislature in the “Knesset Law – Shevat 22, 5718”. The law stipulated that among its major functions, the Knesset shall: make laws, approve the Cabinet and scrutinize its work, elect the State President, approve the State budget and appoint the State Comptroller.