List of 130 Members of the First Knesset (הכנסת הראשונה), the inaugural parliament of the State of Israel, from February 14, 1949, to August 20, 1951

The First Knesset (הכנסת הראשונה) was the inaugural parliament of the State of Israel, serving from February 14, 1949, to August 20, 1951. It marked a foundational period in Israeli democracy, establishing key institutions and policies that shaped the young nation.

Key Details of the First Knesset

  • Elections: Held on January 25, 1949, under a proportional representation system, with 120 seats distributed among 12 parties.
  • Leading Party: Mapai (Labor Zionist, led by David Ben-Gurion) won 46 seats, becoming the dominant force.
  • Opposition & Coalitions:
    • Herut (right-wing, led by Menachem Begin) won 14 seats.
    • Mapam (left-wing socialist) won 19 seats.
    • United Religious Front (religious parties) won 16 seats.
    • Ben-Gurion formed a coalition government with religious and centrist factions, excluding Herut and the Communist Party.

Major Achievements & Events

  1. Formation of the Government (March 1949)
    • David Ben-Gurion became Israel’s first Prime Minister.
    • Chaim Weizmann (Mapai) was elected as Israel’s first President (a largely ceremonial role).
  2. Key Legislation
    • Transition Law (1949): Defined government structure.
    • Law of Return (1950): Guaranteed Jews worldwide the right to immigrate to Israel.
    • Absentees’ Property Law (1950): Addressed property disputes from the 1948 war.
  3. Jerusalem as Capital (1949)
    • Despite international disputes, Israel declared West Jerusalem its capital.
  4. Economic & Military Challenges
    • Absorbed mass Jewish immigration (nearly 700,000 Holocaust survivors and Middle Eastern Jews).
    • Faced economic austerity (rationing, food shortages).
    • Strengthened the IDF (consolidating pre-state militias).
  5. Foreign Policy
    • Joined the UN (May 1949).
    • Armistice agreements signed with Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria (1949), ending the 1948 War.

Legacy

The First Knesset laid the groundwork for Israel’s democratic institutions, legal system, and national identity. Its decisions—especially on immigration, security, and Jerusalem—still resonate today.

List of 130 Members of the First Knesset (הכנסת הראשונה), from February 14, 1949, to August 20, 1951

Details of the 130 MKs who have served in the Knesset since it was founded

  1. Moshe Aram 1896 – 1978
  2. Zalman Aran 1899 – 1970
  3. Meir Argov 1905 – 1963
  4. Ami Assaf 1903 – 1963
  5. Yohanan Bader 1905 – 1994
  6. Menachem Bader 1895 – 1985
  7. Aryeh Bahir 1906 – 1970
  8. Yosef Baratz 1890 – 1968
  9. Dov Bar-Nir 1911 – 2000
  10. David Bar-Rav-Hai 1894 – 1977
  11. Israel Bar-Yehuda 1895 – 1965
  12. Refael Bash 1913 – 2000
  13. Menachem Begin 1913 – 1992
  14. Yitzhak Ben-Aharon 1906 – 2006
  15. Moshe Ben-Ami 1898 – 1960
  16. Chaim Ben-Asher 1904 – 1998
  17. Aryeh Ben-Eliezer 1913 – 1970
  18. David Ben-Gurion 1886 – 1973
  19. Mordechai Bentov 1900 – 1985
  20. Yitzhak Ben-Zvi 1884 – 1963
  21. Herzl Berger 1904 – 1962
  22. Peretz Bernstein 1890 – 1971
  23. Yosef Burg 1909 – 1999
  24. Idov Cohen 1909 – 1998
  25. Menahem Cohen 1922 – 1975
  26. Rachel Cohen-Kagan 1888 – 1982
  27. Haim Cohen-Meguri 1913 – 2000
  28. Shmuel Dayan 1891 – 1968
  29. Ben-Zion Dinur 1884 – 1973
  30. Hasya Drori 1899 – 1976
  31. Yechiel Duvdevani 1896 – 1988
  32. Yosef Efrati 1897 – 1975
  33. Eliahu Eliashar 1899 – 1981
  34. Avraham Elmalich 1876 – 1967
  35. Seif E-Din E-Zoubi 1913 – 1986
  36. Yeshayahu Foerder 1901 – 1970
  37. Heshel Frumkin 1896 – 1974
  38. Israel Galili 1911 – 1986
  39. Eliyahu-Moshe Ganchovsky 1901 – 1971
  40. Yaacov Gil (Lifschitz) 1908 – 1990
  41. Zecharia Glosca 1894 – 1960
  42. Avraham-Yehuda Goldrat 1912 – 1973
  43. Shraga Goren 1898 – 1972
  44. Akiva Govrin 1902 – 1980
  45. Avraham Granot 1890 – 1969
  46. Aharon-Yaakov Greenberg 1900 – 1963
  47. Uri Zvi Greenberg 1895 – 1981
  48. Israel Guri 1893 – 1965
  49. Eliyahu Hacarmeli 1891 – 1952
  50. David Hacohen 1898 – 1984
  51. Yizhar Harari 1908 – 1978
  52. Netta Harpaz 1893 – 1970
  53. Yaakov Hazan 1899 – 1992
  54. Avraham Herzfeld 1891 – 1973
  55. Abba Hushi 1898 – 1969
  56. Beba Idelson 1885 – 1975
  57. Fayge Ilanit 1909 – 2002
  58. Eri Jabotinsky 1910 – 1969
  59. Amin-Salim Jarjora 1886 – 1975
  60. Kalman Kahana 1910 – 1991
  61. Itzhak Kanev 1896 – 1980
  62. Eliezer Kaplan 1891 – 1952
  63. Shmuel Katz 1914 – 2008
  64. Moshe Kelmer 1901 – 1970
  65. Yona Kesse 1907 – 1985
  66. Yaakov Klivnov 1887 – 1966
  67. Hillel Kook 1915 – 2001
  68. Hannah Lamdan 1905 – 1995
  69. Yosef-Michael Lamm 1899 – 1976
  70. Haim Landau 1916 – 1981
  71. Eliyahu Lankin 1914 – 1994
  72. Shlomo Lavi 1882 – 1963
  73. Pinhas Lavon 1904 – 1976
  74. Meir-David Levenstein 1904 – 1995
  75. Yitzhak-Meir Levin 1893 – 1971
  76. Eliezer Livna 1902 – 1975
  77. David Livschitz 1897 – 1973
  78. Yehuda Leib Maimon 1875 – 1962
  79. Ada Maimon 1891 – 1973
  80. Eliyahu Mazur 1889 – 1973
  81. Golda Meir 1898 – 1978
  82. Yaacov Meridor 1913 – 1995
  83. Shmuel Merlin 1910 – 1994
  84. Shmuel Mikunis 1903 – 1982
  85. Benjamin Mintz 1903 – 1961
  86. Peretz Naftali 1888 – 1961
  87. Devorah Netzer 1897 – 1989
  88. Nahum Nir 1884 – 1968
  89. Mordechai Nurock 1884 – 1962
  90. Baruch Osnia 1905 – 1994
  91. Eliezer Peri 1902 – 1970
  92. Shoshana Persitz 1892 – 1969
  93. David-Zvi Pinkas 1897 – 1952
  94. Eliezer Preminger 1920 – 2001
  95. Avraham Rakanti 1888 – 1980
  96. Menachem Ratzon 1919 – 1987
  97. Esther Raziel-Naor 1911 – 2002
  98. David Remez 1886 – 1951
  99. Berl Repetur 1902 – 1989
  100. Yaakov Riftin 1907 – 1978
  101. Israel Rokach 1886 – 1959
  102. Pinhas Rosen 1887 – 1978
  103. Hanan Rubin 1908 – 1962
  104. Yosef Sapir 1902 – 1972
  105. Yosef Serlin 1906 – 1974
  106. Avraham-Haim Shag 1887 – 1958
  107. Haim-Moshe Shapira 1902 – 1970
  108. Moshe Sharett 1894 – 1965
  109. Shneor Zalman Shazar 1889 – 1974
  110. Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit 1895 – 1967
  111. Aryeh Sheftel 1905 – 1980
  112. Reuven Sheri 1903 – 1989
  113. Yehudit Simhoni 1902 – 1991
  114. Yizhar Smilansky 1916 – 2006
  115. Moshe Sneh 1909 – 1972
  116. Joseph Sprinzak 1884 – 1959
  117. Yitzhak Tabenkin 1888 – 1971
  118. Ephraim Taburi 1900 – 1957
  119. Avraham Taviv 1889 – 1950
  120. Tawfik Toubi 1922 – 2011
  121. Jenia Tversky 1904 – 1964
  122. Moshe Unna 1902 – 1989
  123. Meir Vilner 1918 – 2003
  124. Zerach Warhaftig 1906 – 2002
  125. Meir Yaari 1897 – 1987
  126. Zvi Yehuda 1887 – 1965
  127. Natan Yellin-Mor 1913 – 1980
  128. Yisrael Yeshayahu 1908 – 1979
  129. Dov (Bernard) Yosef 1899 – 1980
  130. Aharon Zisling 1901 – 1964
The First Knesset (הכנסת הראשונה) was the inaugural parliament of the State of Israel, serving from February 14, 1949, to August 20, 1951. It marked a foundational period in Israeli democracy, establishing key institutions and policies that shaped the young nation.

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