(Hebrew: "Assembly") Unicameral national legislature of Israel.
The first Knesset opened in 1949. Its name and the number of its seats (120) are based on the Jewish assembly of biblical times; its traditions and organization are based on the Zionist Congress, the political system of the Jewish community in pre-Israel Palestine, and more loosely the British House of Commons . Its members are elected by proportional representation for four-year terms; candidates are chosen by their parties.