The Knesset building in Migdal Ram under construction, 1965,
More of Once upon a time in Jerusalem.
In June 1955 the chairman of the Knesset at the time announced about the development of an area for the Government Kiryat in Givat Ram, and later it was decided with the Association of Architects in Israel to create a Statewide competition among the State Architects to see who would design the permanent residence of the Israeli Knesset, which was still located in the Frumin building on King George Street, about which I have written about in great detail in past articles.
Israel’s best architects sharpened their pencils, got themselves ready and began planning.
Nine days before the publication of the proposals it became known that Baron Rothschild bequeathed to the Knesset an amount of 1.25 M pounds sterling for the construction of the Knesset Residence, which would be equivalent to 6 million Lirot.
On July 24, 1957, exactly 67 years ago, the results of the competition were announced, which unanimously determined to award the first prize and the design of the building to the architect Joseph Klarvin
And in Israel, as in Israel, the decision provoked much criticism by expert architects, and self-appointed experts.
The building is not an Israeli building, its shape is boring, pillared buildings are foreign to Jerusalem, even though the temple was built in the same shape, the opposer also claimed that the building looks like a Greek temple and a myriad of different such claims.
And what happens in the event that the committee’s decision is disputed?
Correct. Another committee of experts, established by the Speaker of the Knesset, convened and determined after thorough deliberation that the structure is “highly deserving to be built”.
The committee proposed that the exhausted Klarvin fly abroad “to look at similar buildings” and in addition, the committee established an office headed by another architect who would improve the chosen proposal.
While Klarvin was away traveling the world to examine similar buildings, the Knesset’s executive committee made far-reaching changes to his plan without any consultation.
Even after the changes that were made to the surprise and displeasure of the exhausted and frustrated Klarvin, who returned to Israel with Toblerone tablets in his suitcase, it was decided that he had not suffered and been humiliated enough, and the committee decided to involve other architects in the planning process.
Additional architects were assigned to the team, including Dov Karmi and his son Ram and a young British architect named Bill Gillitt who prepared a new plan for the building.
From a rectangular structure to a square structure, from an inner courtyard open to the sky to a courtyard that was canceled and will no longer be built, the area of the building was reduced, the plenary hall was moved from the center of the building, the location of the building was changed and the entrance to it was set to another side.
There was also a heated debate about the direction of the entrance to the building between those in favor of exposure to the spectacular and open view from the top of the hill and those in favor of the view the building shows to those who come through its gates.
After all those concerned had been thoroughly exhausted and made their final decision, IDF representatives appeared and opposed the proposed entry on the grounds that the entry was being observed from a number of Jordanian firing positions and the possibility of direct fire at the establishment with reasonable chances of injury.
Then, after all parties had finally exhausted themselves and had enough, the Executive Committee met and approved the plan in May 1960.
11 years since the decision to build the new Knesset building was made, the dedication ceremony for the New Knesset Building was held in grand splendor with the attendance of 6,000 participants and an additional 5,000 residents of Jerusalem watched the ceremony from the nearby Rose Garden.
And from then until today, in the spirit of the building’s planning processes, the Knesset of Israel serves as the arena of struggle for the interior Jewish wars, where each side has convincing arguments and absolute justice, experts on their own behalf express their opinion on every issue, and every Jew or member of the Knesset has more than one opinion on everything that happens.
Hundreds of committees were established in the Knesset since then to solve problems, and they slowly and painfully buried every innovative and ground-breaking idea, and by the time the committees completed their duties and published their recommendations, the original problem for which it was established had long since lost its relevance.
It turns out that the joy of controversy and Jewish debate is rooted and etched deep within us, and unfortunately to this day we have not learned a thing.
From the time of the Exodus of the Bnei Israel who came out of Egypt after being enslaves for over 400 years , and were divided into groups that wanted to return to “the pot of meat”, fight, pray or jump into the water, through the golden calf, (warm greetings to Korach and his companions who were swallowed up by the earth), through the destruction of the two temples and up to current day.
The Jews say that every Jew has two synagogues.
One in order to pray in it on a regular basis, and the other that he would never step foot in.
Apparently, the remedy for all of us is still a long way away.
May we all merit to see the day when we will all learn the lesson and are able to apply it in the life of the nation – day after day.
Amen.
Shabbat of peace to far and near from Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the debates within the nation of Israel.
May we merit to see all the hostages returned home in good health of mind and body together with all the IDF soldiers and residents evacuated from their homes.
Photo by the late Yitzhak Saad.
