Israel's 25th Knesset will hold its opening session on Tuesday, exactly two weeks after the national elections in which the right-wing bloc headed by Benjamin Netanyahu gained a decisive victory.
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The 120 elected lawmakers will take the oath of office beginning with a special ceremony at 3:20 pm with the participation of President Isaac Herzog.
Netanyahu will be sworn in as prime minister in the days ahead and will seek to form a governing coalition. Negotiations have stalled due to a disagreement with regard to the position of defense minister.
Netanyahu is said to be considering former Israeli ambassador to the US Ron Dermer for the position, while Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich is said to insist he be appointed for the role.
Due to the delay in the negotiations, the Knesset speaker will not be elected on Tuesday, as is customary. Netanyahu is nevertheless expected to bridge the divides as early as next week. According to Israel's Basic Law: The Government, the prime minister-designate has until Dec. 11 to do so, with the possibility of a 14-day extension in the unlikely event he requires more time.
The new Knesset will include 29 female lawmakers, compared to the 36 of the outgoing government. Yesh Atid and the Labor Party have the most women, while Shas and United Torah Judaism continue to consist of men only.
Twenty-eight new lawmakers will be entering this Knesset, including seven from the Likud, five from Otzma Yehudit ("Jewish Power"), three from Yesh Atid, two from the Religious Zionist Party, two from the Ra'am Arab faction and one each from the State Party, United Torah Judaism, Yisrael Beytenu and Sephardic ultra-Orthodox faction Shas.
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