Joint List MKs Walk Out During Hatikvah at Knesset Swearing-In

Joint List members of Knesset walked out of the plenum during the singing of Hatikvah at the end of the 26th Knesset's swearing-in ceremony in Jerusalem on Tuesday, November 10. The faction's lawmakers left as a protest, after making their declarations of allegiance, and did not stand for the national anthem. Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas remained in the chamber and stood during Hatikvah. The ceremony brought the new parliament's 120 members to the plenum to declare allegiance individually. Each was called to make the declaration, "I pledge." President Isaac Herzog, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended the ceremony. The opening of the plenum had been scheduled for 4 p.m. In his address to the new Knesset, Herzog urged its members to complete their term, show moderation and seek compromise. "You must do everything to avoid another election," Herzog said. Before entering the plenum, the president reviewed an honor guard, laid a wreath for fallen service members and victims of terrorism, and signed the presidents' book.