Knesset Guard

The Knesset Guard, known in Hebrew as Mishmar HaKnesset, is the Israeli protective security unit assigned to the Knesset, Israel's parliament. Its core responsibilities are the protection of the Knesset building and grounds, the safeguarding of members of the Knesset, and the maintenance of security during parliamentary activity. The unit operates under the authority of the Speaker of the Knesset, distinguishing it institutionally from ordinary parliamentary administration while placing its work within the security framework of Israel's legislature. The force was established in 1958 following a serious security incident in the Knesset plenary chamber. On 29 October 1957, Moshe Dwek threw a grenade during a sitting. Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, Foreign Minister Golda Meir, and Minister Haim-Moshe Shapiro were injured. The incident prompted the Israeli Police to establish a dedicated protective unit for the parliament. The Knesset Guard therefore emerged as a response to the specific security needs of a national legislature operating in an environment where elected officials, ministers, visitors, staff, and public proceedings share a highly visible institutional setting. Guards are primarily stationed outside the Knesset complex and protect access points, the surrounding grounds, and the building's perimeter. Inside the building, ushers perform related visitor-management and ceremonial functions. The force's commander is the Sergeant-at-Arms, or Knesset officer, a role associated with both security command and the orderly functioning of the parliamentary complex. The legal status and authority of the guard were formally addressed in the Knesset Guard Law of 1968. Yerachmiel Belkin is identified as the first Knesset officer. In addition to routine protective duties, the Knesset Guard has a public ceremonial role. Its personnel greet visiting dignitaries and participate in the annual ceremony held on Mount Herzl on the eve of Israel's Independence Day. These functions give the unit a dual identity: it is a security organization responsible for threat prevention and access protection, but it also represents the dignity and continuity of the parliamentary institution at official occasions. The guard's equipment has changed over time. According to the cited reference material, its personnel used Israeli-designed or Israeli-produced small arms, including IMI Galil rifles until 2020, followed by IMI Tavor TAR-21 and IWI Arad rifles. The unit is not a commercial consumer brand and does not sell products or services in the ordinary marketplace. Its institutional role is instead defined by parliamentary security, protective operations, ceremonial protocol, and support for the safe functioning of Israel's legislative process.

The Knesset Guard was created in 1958 after a grenade attack in the Knesset plenary chamber on 29 October 1957. Moshe Dwek threw the grenade during a parliamentary session, injuring Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, Foreign Minister Golda Meir, and Minister Haim-Moshe Shapiro. The incident demonstrated the vulnerability of Israel's young parliamentary institution and led the Israeli Police to establish a dedicated force for the protection of the legislature. From its establishment, the guard's mission centered on the Knesset building, its grounds, and the elected representatives working there. Its responsibilities include external security, protection of access points and the parliamentary compound, and personal protection for members of the Knesset. Security personnel are stationed outside the building, while ushers serve inside in functions associated with visitor management and parliamentary order. The commander of the force is known as the Sergeant-at-Arms, or Knesset officer. The institutional framework for the guard was formalized through the Knesset Guard Law of 1968. The law established the force's status and authority, while the Speaker of the Knesset retained institutional responsibility over its operations. Yerachmiel Belkin is recorded as the first Knesset officer. This arrangement reflects the guard's distinctive position: it performs policing and protective work, but its primary client and operational setting are the national legislature rather than the general public. The Knesset Guard also developed a ceremonial function alongside its security role. Guards greet dignitaries visiting the parliament and participate in the annual Independence Day eve ceremony on Mount Herzl. These duties connect the unit to state protocol and public representations of parliamentary authority. Its weapons inventory has evolved over time. Reference material identifies the IMI Galil as a rifle used by the force until 2020, with the IMI Tavor TAR-21 and IWI Arad identified among its later Israeli weapons. Beyond these equipment changes, the available material provides limited detail about organizational restructuring, leadership succession, staffing, budgets, or operational deployments. The unit remains an active component of the Knesset's protective and ceremonial infrastructure.

• 2020

  Rifle transition reference point

  [1]Knesset Guarden.wikipedia.org

  Reference material states that IMI Galil rifles were used until 2020; the force is also identified as using IMI Tavor TAR-21 and IWI Arad rifles.

• 1968

  Knesset Guard Law

  [1]Knesset Guarden.wikipedia.org

  The legal status and authority of the Knesset Guard were regulated through the Knesset Guard Law.

• 1958

  Establishment of the Knesset Guard

  [1]Knesset Guarden.wikipedia.org

  The Israeli Police established a specialized guard for the protection of the Knesset following the 1957 attack.

• 1957

  Grenade attack in the Knesset

  [1]Knesset Guarden.wikipedia.org

  A grenade thrown during a plenary session injured Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, Foreign Minister Golda Meir, and Minister Haim-Moshe Shapiro, exposing the need for dedicated parliamentary protection.

A specialized parliamentary protective-security unit serving the Knesset under the authority of the Speaker of the Knesset.

• 2020

  Transition from Galil riflesGeneration change

  Background

  The available reference identifies IMI Galil rifles as being used by the Knesset Guard until 2020 and names the Tavor TAR-21 and IWI Arad among the force's Israeli weapons.

  Action taken

  The equipment reference indicates a move away from the Galil platform by 2020, although it does not provide procurement quantities, a formal announcement, or a complete transition date.

  Aftermath

  The available material does not document operational or financial consequences of the equipment change.

  Source

1. 1Knesset Guarden.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Knesset Guard — official Knesset department pagemain.knesset.gov.il