A building established by the Zionist Movement in Jerusalem before the establishment of the state, for the national institutions: the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency, JNF, United Israel Appeal. These offices were the beating heart of the founders of the state and it was here that the first terror attack occured on March 11th 1948. It was from the balcony of this building that members of The People’s Assembly (the initial name for those who went on to become the first Knesset members) who were besieged in Jerusalem and therefore couldn’t reach the declaration of independence in Tel Aviv, announced the establishment of the State of Israel. Under the balcony, the masses wildly danced the Hora. The building was completed in 1936 by the architect Yohanan Ratner. The first President of Israel, Chaim Weizmann, was sworn in here, and the Prime Minister of Israel’s office was located in the building until 1962.

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