Frumin House
Encyclopedia
Frumin House was the temporary abode of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset
, between 1950-1966, Prior to the Six-Day War
in 1967 (When Israel taken the east and old city of Jerusalem under it's control). The building is located in Jerusalem City-Center, 24 King George Street, and Knesset sessions, from the first to the sixth, were conducted there.
and the first Knesset sessions were held in Tel Aviv
in several places: Tel Aviv Museum of Art
in Dizengoff House (today Independence Hall), and in "Kessem" movie house located at "Knesset Square".
On 26 December 1949, the Knesset ascended to Jerusalem. At first, it held its meetings in the the Jewish Agency's
building. It was looking for a better place to conduct it's assemblings. After weighing in several options, including the King David Hotel
, Frumin House was chosen, a three stories office building whose construction began in 1947 and was not completed. Starting from 13 March 1950, meetings of the Knesset were held in this building. The Chamber was placed in the basement of the building, originally intended to serve as a branch bank.
At times, when meetings were held, King George st. was closed for transportation at the section of the street near the building, which caused great disruption to residents of the city. In addition, the location of the Knesset meetings on a main street in the city-center caused security problems. For example, during the demonstration against the Reparations Agreement between Israel and West Germany
in 1952, protesters threw stones at the building, shattering windows and penetrating through the plenum chamber.
On 11 August 1966 the last meeting of the Knesset was held there, prior to its recess. On 30 August 1966, during the term of the Sixth Knesset, the Knesset moved to its new campus in Givat Ram
.
In 1956, in a Green garden near the building, on the "Bor Shiber" lot, the Knesset Menorah
was set (and the garden was then named the "Gan HaMenora", Hebrew: "גן המנורה", lit. The Garedn of the Lamp). The Menorah was then moved to the Wohl Rose Park when the Knesset building was inaugurated at Givat Ram.
was located in the building until 2004. For now, Bodies of the Ministry of Religious Services
resides in the building: the Rabbinical courts of Jerusalem District, and the Great Rabbinical Court of Appeals.
In 2002, the State of Israel] sold the building to a private individual for 10 million Shekel. The new owners filed the District Committee for Planning and Building an application to build on the area of Frumin House a 16-story structure, which practically meant - destroying the original structure.
Following this, the Council for the The Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites (SPIHS) struggled against the intention of demolition. A number of Knesset members sponsered a bill that was passed in 2010, stipulating that the building will be preserved, its interior section will be restored, and a "Museum of the Knesset" will be establishment there. By law, the building was to be confiscated from its owners and handed to the State of Israel, and the owners was to receive NIS 45 million for it.
In 2009, the State Comptroller of Israel published a report dealing with the issue of sale of the Frumin House by the State of Israel and the blunders in the process of its preservation.
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
, between 1950-1966, Prior to the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
in 1967 (When Israel taken the east and old city of Jerusalem under it's control). The building is located in Jerusalem City-Center, 24 King George Street, and Knesset sessions, from the first to the sixth, were conducted there.
History
The three-story building was named after the Frumin family, whom initiated the construction before the Israeli War of Independence (1948 Arab–Israeli War), for residential and business purposes.Between 1950-1966
Up until the end of 1949, meetings of the Provisional State CouncilProvisional State Council
The Provisional State Council was the temporary legislature of Israel from shortly before independence until the election of the first Knesset in January 1949...
and the first Knesset sessions were held in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
in several places: Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Tel Aviv Museum of Art
The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is an art museum in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was established in 1932 in a building that was the home of Tel Aviv's first mayor, Meir Dizengoff. The Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art opened in 1959. The museum moved to its current location on King Saul Avenue in...
in Dizengoff House (today Independence Hall), and in "Kessem" movie house located at "Knesset Square".
On 26 December 1949, the Knesset ascended to Jerusalem. At first, it held its meetings in the the Jewish Agency's
Jewish Agency for Israel
The Jewish Agency for Israel , also known as the Sochnut or JAFI, served as the organization in charge of immigration and absorption of Jews from the Diaspora into the state of Israel.-History:...
building. It was looking for a better place to conduct it's assemblings. After weighing in several options, including the King David Hotel
King David Hotel
The King David Hotel is a 5-star hotel in Jerusalem, Israel. Opened in 1931, the hotel was built with locally quarried pink limestone and was founded by Ezra Mosseri, a wealthy Egyptian Jewish Banker. To this day the hotel remains one of the most prominent and prestigious hotels in Israel, and...
, Frumin House was chosen, a three stories office building whose construction began in 1947 and was not completed. Starting from 13 March 1950, meetings of the Knesset were held in this building. The Chamber was placed in the basement of the building, originally intended to serve as a branch bank.
At times, when meetings were held, King George st. was closed for transportation at the section of the street near the building, which caused great disruption to residents of the city. In addition, the location of the Knesset meetings on a main street in the city-center caused security problems. For example, during the demonstration against the Reparations Agreement between Israel and West Germany
Reparations Agreement between Israel and West Germany
The Reparations Agreement between Israel and West Germany was signed on September 10, 1952, and entered in force on March 27, 1953...
in 1952, protesters threw stones at the building, shattering windows and penetrating through the plenum chamber.
On 11 August 1966 the last meeting of the Knesset was held there, prior to its recess. On 30 August 1966, during the term of the Sixth Knesset, the Knesset moved to its new campus in Givat Ram
Givat Ram
Givat Ram is a neighborhood in central Jerusalem, Israel. Many of Israel's most important national institutions are located in Givat Ram, among them the Knesset, the Israel Museum, the National Library of Israel and the Israeli Supreme Court.-Etymology:...
.
In 1956, in a Green garden near the building, on the "Bor Shiber" lot, the Knesset Menorah
Knesset Menorah
The Knesset Menorah is a bronze monument about five meters high, that is located at the edge of Gan Havradim in front of the Knesset. Built by Benno Elkan, a British-Jewish sculptor who worked on it for 6 years, the Parliament of the United Kingdom gave it to Israel in 1956...
was set (and the garden was then named the "Gan HaMenora", Hebrew: "גן המנורה", lit. The Garedn of the Lamp). The Menorah was then moved to the Wohl Rose Park when the Knesset building was inaugurated at Givat Ram.
Between 1967-2010
After the departure of the Knesset from that building, it was used by various government agencies. Ministry of TourismTourism Minister of Israel
The Tourism Minister of Israel is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet. The position is currently held by Stas Misezhnikov of Yisrael Beiteinu....
was located in the building until 2004. For now, Bodies of the Ministry of Religious Services
Ministry of Religious Services
The Ministry of Religious Services -Religious Services Minister:The Religious Services Minister of Israel is the political head of the Ministry of Religious Services and a relatively minor position in the Israeli cabinet...
resides in the building: the Rabbinical courts of Jerusalem District, and the Great Rabbinical Court of Appeals.
In 2002, the State of Israel] sold the building to a private individual for 10 million Shekel. The new owners filed the District Committee for Planning and Building an application to build on the area of Frumin House a 16-story structure, which practically meant - destroying the original structure.
Following this, the Council for the The Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites (SPIHS) struggled against the intention of demolition. A number of Knesset members sponsered a bill that was passed in 2010, stipulating that the building will be preserved, its interior section will be restored, and a "Museum of the Knesset" will be establishment there. By law, the building was to be confiscated from its owners and handed to the State of Israel, and the owners was to receive NIS 45 million for it.
In 2009, the State Comptroller of Israel published a report dealing with the issue of sale of the Frumin House by the State of Israel and the blunders in the process of its preservation.