Knesset building 30 August 1966: Dedication of new building (during the sixth Knesset) 1981: Construction of new wing begins 1992: New wing opens 2001: Construction starts on a large new wing that essentially doubles the overall floorspace of the Knesset compound. 2007: New large wing opens Parliamentary beginnings The Knesset first convened on 14 February 1949 in Tel Aviv following the 20 January elections, replacing the Provisional State Council which acted as Israel's official legislature from its date of independence on 14 May 1948 and succeeding the Assembly of Representatives that had functioned as the Jewish community's representative body during the Mandate era. Provisional housing before 1966 Before the construction of its current location, the Knesset met in Tel Aviv, before moving to the Froumine building in Jerusalem. Permanent building The Knesset compound sits on a hilltop in western Jerusalem in a district known as Sheikh Badr before the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, now Givat Ram. The main building was financed by James de Rothschild as a gift to the State of Israel in his will and was completed in 1966. It was built on land leased from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Over the years, significant additions to the structure were constructed, however, these were built at levels below and behind the main 1966 structure as not to detract from the original assembly building's appearance. Knesset assemblies Each Knesset session is known by its election number. Thus the Knesset elected by Israel's first election in 1949 is known as the First Knesset''. The current Knesset, elected in 2021, is the Twenty-fourth Knesset. 1st (1949–1951) 2nd (1951–1955) 3rd (1955–1959) 4th (1959–1961) 5th (1961–1965) 6th (1965–1969) 7th (1969–1974) 8th (1974–1977) 9th (1977–1981) 10th (1981–1984) 11th (1984–1988) 12th (1988–1992) 13th (1992–1996) 14th (1996–1999) 15th (1999–2003) 16th (2003–2006) 17th (2006–2009) 18th (2009–2013) 19th (2013–2015) 20th (2015–2019) 21st (2019) 22nd (2019–2020) 23rd (2020–2021) 24th (2021–2022) 25th (2022–) Tourism The Knesset holds morning tours in Hebrew, Arabic, English, French, Spanish, German, and Russian on Sunday and Thursday, and there are also live session viewing times on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings. Security The Knesset is protected by the Knesset Guard, a protective security unit responsible for the security of the Knesset building and Knesset members. Guards are stationed outside the building to provide armed protection, and ushers are stationed inside to maintain order. The Knesset Guard also plays a ceremonial role, participating in state ceremonies,