December 26, 1949: The Israeli parliament relocates to Jerusalem

The Israeli government table at the first house of the
Knesset in Jerusalem

When the State of Israel was established on 14 May 1948, Jerusalem was besieged by the Legion of Transjordan and the Egyptian army, amidst the country's independence war. This ongoing siege prevented Israel's provisional state council which later, following the state's first democratic elections in early 1949 became known as the Knesset (Israel's Parliament), from being situated and from acting in the city. 

On April 3, 1949 Israel and Jordan signed an armistice agreement effectively dividing Jerusalem to an eastern section and a western section between both countries.

Following this agreement and the armistice agreements with Syria and Egypt, which all together virtually eliminated the original UN Partition Plan for Palestine, the UN General Assembly was set to begin its debates on the future status of Jerusalem. In early December 1949, on the eve of those debates, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion made a statement declaring  that Jerusalem is the "eternal capital of Israel" and the "heart of Israel", adding that Israel cannot imagine the UN trying to rip the city from Israel, after Israeli warriors risked their lives to free Jerusalem during the War of Independence.

Israel's resolute stance was expressed again a few days later, when Ben-Gurion addressed the Knesset with a statement urging the parliament to hold its meetings in Jerusalem. 
Indeed, following this request the Knesset passed a resolution that all future meetings will be held in Jerusalem. 

On December 26, 1949, the Israeli parliament relocated to Jerusalem where it sits and acts since.

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