A guard of honor, dozens of escorts and stewards, and a lavish banquet: The 25th Knesset will begin its official term on Tuesday with a delectable swearing in ceremony.
Aside from the logistic and cosmetic aspects that were prepared to make this day as agreeable as possible, the Knesset also decided to invest in the culinary aspect of the occasion - what has not been customary up until this year.
Shahaf Shabtay, the chef the coveted "Pop and Pope" restaurant in Tel Aviv, constructed a special menu for the VIP-filled event.
The menu has been called "The Streams of Water - from the Mountains of the Upper Galilee" - and it includes a variety of options that Shabtay strategically formulated. Amongst of the dishes offered are a farmers' root salad, pretzel asado, onion salmon.
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Chef Shahaf Shabtay amid preparations for the 25th Knesset swearing in ceremony
(Photo: Shmulik Grossman, Knesset spokesperson)
Shabtay split up the menu into categories named after areas in Israel. Under the "Valley field - Emek Yisrael" section, the chef is offering Afula's Fricasse - a savory fried pastry filled with potato, Iraqi-style eggplant, Zion omelet, and sriracha.
In the "City markets - Jerusalem hills" section of the menu, Shabtay crafted the Cucumber Kubbeh, and Friday afternoon's valley chicken.
The banquet will entail many other options of Israeli fusion dishes, such as dim sum with middle-eastern spiced fillings, and a corned beef tartare seasoned with shaskshuka dressing.