Thousandth MK to Be Sworn In Thursday

Although it may not remain in session too long, given the fluid political situation in Israel today, the 22nd Knesset, which will be seated Thursday, is notable for several things: An almost record number of religious and chareidi MKs, and the Knesset that will see the swearing-in of the thousandth MK.

That distinction, if all goes according to schedule, will go to MK Matan Kahane of the Yamina party. Kahane, Yisrael Hayom reported, is a resident of Haifa and a graduate Yeshivat Netiv Meir in Yerushalayim. He served three years in the IDF Matkal Special Forces Unit, serving together with, among others, fellow Yamina MK Naftali Bennett.

He is among eight new MKs who will serve in the Knesset, and according to the alphabetical order in which MKs are sworn in, he is set to be the 1,000th Knesset member to serve since the founding of the state.

Of the 120 MKs, 31 define themselves as chareidi or observant. In the former category are all the members of United Torah Judaism and Shas, while the latter includes four members of Blue and White – MKs Chili Tropper, Orit Farkash Cohen, Omer Yankelovich and Elazar Stern; five members of Likud – Ze’ev Elkin, Yuli Edelstein, Tzippy Hotovely, Shlomo Kar’ii and Katy Sheetrit; and all members of Yamina except for Ayelet Shaked.

The 22nd Knesset will also have a record number of non-Jews serving. Along with 12 out of 13 members of the United Arab List (not including MK Ofer Kassif), non-Jewish MKs in Knesset include Adir Mariach of Blue and White, and Hamad Amar of Yisrael Beytenu.