Provisional State Council מועצת המדינה הזמנית Moetzet HaMedina HaZmanit | |
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| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 12 April 1948 |
| Disbanded | 3 February 1949 |
| Leadership | |
Chaim Weizmann (1948–1949), General Zionists | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 37 |
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Political groups | Provisional government (30)
Opposition (7)
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TheProvisional State Council (Hebrew:מועצת המדינה הזמנית,Moetzet HaMedina HaZmanit) was the temporarylegislature ofIsrael from shortly before independence until the election of thefirst Knesset in January 1949. It took the place ofHis Majesty's Privy Council, through which the British Government had legislated forMandatory Palestine.
The Provisional State Council was established under the name Moetzet HaAm (מועצת העם, lit.People's Council) on 12 April 1948 in preparation for independence just over a month later. There were 37 members representing all sides of theJewish political spectrum, from theRevisionists to theCommunists. A separate body,Minhelet HaAm was set up as the proto-cabinet, all of whose members were also members of Moetzet HaAm.
On 14 May at 13:50, Moetzet HaAm met at theJewish National Fund building inTel Aviv to vote on the text of theIsraeli Declaration of Independence. Despite disagreements over issues such as borders and religion, it was passed unanimously and the meeting ended at 15:00, an hour before the declaration was to be made. The 37 members were those that signed the declaration.
Following independence, the body was renamed the Provisional State Council. Its last meeting was held on 3 February 1949, after which it was replaced by the Constituent Assembly which had beenelected on 25 January. The Constituent Assembly first convened on 14 February, and two days later declared itself the firstKnesset.
The council's titular figurehead,Chaim Weizmann, was Israel's de facto head of state until he waselectedpresident in February 1949.
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