When NASS members visited Knesset

From the humble beginning of the first Knesset “Green Parliament” in 1949 to the current 20th Knesset, this hallowed Israeli Parliament of 120 members elected by direct election every four years has grown from strength to strength. The Israeli government is run by a multi-party parliamentary system, but its head is the President of the […]

From the humble beginning of the first Knesset “Green Parliament” in 1949 to the current 20th Knesset, this hallowed Israeli Parliament of 120 members elected by direct election every four years has grown from strength to strength.
The Israeli government is run by a multi-party parliamentary system, but its head is the President of the state of Israel, who performs mainly ceremonial roles.
The Executive Authority in Israel is vested in the Prime Minister, who is elected in a nationwide election every four years. He is assisted by Ministers he appoints into the Cabinet from Party members who are also members of    parliament (MKs).
I was opportune to be in the company of our Hon. Speaker Yakubu Dogara and we attended a session of the Israeli Parliament (KNESSET) where issues were deliberated. Our Right Hon. Speaker, shared thoughts about global security, economic ties and inter-parliamentary relations between the two countries. What we both share I believe is concern about our security, the Israelis are under constant terrorist attacks too and we can share from their experience in counter terrorism.
During our visit we resided in the center of Jerusalem, the melting pot of all the three religions, Judaism, Islam and Christianity, few meters away from the wall of the old city. In the metropolitan Jerusalem, where hustling and bustling was rife, honking of automobiles typical of any major city in the world added to the din, small coffee shops, bizarre businesses, street hawkers looking to make some dime on the streets and the teeming youths were ubiquitous.
In downtown Jerusalem you can hardly differentiate the Jews from the Arab Christians and Muslims from mere features. When you enter the divided city all the Orthodox Jews, Orthodox Christians and Muslims wear identical long beards. What surprised me is that they greet each other in the morning in the same Arabic and Hebrew/Yiddish languages just like their street signs. Their food is Kosher for the Jews and Halal for the Muslims and Christians.
Some Christian pilgrims that I accompanied to the Holy sites which fortunately some, like Al-Aqsa Mosque are mine too, left me excited about the experience I craved for at the hallowed grounds I was privileged to be standing on.
We took a tour of the awesome Knesset building where they use renewable energy and about 30% solar to power the building that is Green Parliament.
Every new Knesset is inaugurated amid pomp and pageantry by the President of the State of Israel with former members and other distinguished dignitaries. The eldest Knesset member in attendance chairs the event which usually ends with the voting of a new Speaker.
The Knesset operates mainly through the Plenum, which is its central authority. Something unique about the Knesset is its diversity. It has different parliamentary groups. Parliamentary groups are units of party groups coming together with the same interests in order to achieve their goals together. Due to the peculiar nature of the Knesset apart from the Alignment Parliamentary group that existed for some months towards the end of the 7th Knesset, it included the Israeli Labor Party and Mapam, no other single group has ever had a majority. Because the government needs the support of at least 61 members to form a government all Israeli governments have been formed by coalitions.
The 9th Knesset had 13 groups at its beginning and ended up with 20 groups and four individual members. The 13th Knesset had 10 groups when it began and ended with 16 groups and four individual members. In all the Knessets dynamism, the 3rd Knesset is reknowned as the most stable, beginning and ending with the same number of groups 12.
Another peculiarity is the Arab members of the Knesset of whom about three were in the first Knesset in 1949; Tawfik Toubi, the second longest serving member of the Knesset after Shimon Peres, served for 41 years, 5 months and 9 days with Amin-Salam Jarjora and Seif el-Din el-Zoubi. Currently 16 Arabs are in the 20th Knesset with about 61 former members, bringing their total number to 77.
Speaking of records; Raleb Majadele became the first Muslim Arab Minister. In total about 17 Speakers have led the Knesset from Joseph Shprinzak, 1949 to the current Yuli-Yoel Edelstein from 2013 till date.
Other holy sites we visited were; the birth place of Jesus Christ, the city of Nazareth, the tomb of David a stone throw away from the Al Aqsa Mosque the third holiest place for Muslims and the Temple Mount.
Interestingly some Nigerian Christians were surprised when they discovered someone bearing the name Ahmed visiting Galilee, sitting on the bank of river Jordan. I did not hide my identity as a Muslim and have not experienced any form of distrust or discrimination. On the Jewish- Palestinian conflict, it would be important for both Nigerian Christians and Muslims to understand that not all Israelis are Jews and not all Palestinians are Muslims. The conflict has never been a religious matter, but a struggle over land.
My dear friend Hon. Jibrin Satumari representing Hawul/Askira-Uba Federal Constituency, a Christian from the hot bed of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State, engaged me and supported my visit and he took his time to explain to me the significance of these historic sites to the Christian faith. Though pilgrimage may not be compulsory for the Christian faith, I took the visit to be of historical significance just as the Christians do.
Hon. Satumari explained to me the spiritual history of these holy sites and I also explained to him about the Al Aqsa Mosque where prophet Mohammed (SAW), is believed to have resurrected to heaven making it the third holiest place to Muslims. In Israel Muslims and Christians are not belligerent to each other, an onlooker may just be looking at the picture of one people with one culture if he doesn’t look beneath the surface to see the different religions, tribes and cultures living in harmony. What a wonderful world this would be, if we all learnt a thing or two from their way of life.

Rep. Yerima is the member representing Misau/Dambam federal constituency of Bauchi State