Beit HaNassi
{{Short description|Official residence of the President of Israel}}
{{Infobox Historic building
| name = Beit HaNassi
| image = Office of the President of Israel by David Shankbone.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Top: The office of the President (2007)
| map_type = Israel
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| address = 3 HaNassi Boulevard, Jerusalem
| current_tenants = Isaac Herzog, President of Israel and First family
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The President's House, known in Hebrew as Beit HaNassi (בֵּית הַנָּשִׂיא) and Mishkan HaNassi (מִשְׁכָּן הַנָּשִׂיא), is the official residence of the President of Israel. It is located in the Talbiya neighborhood of Jerusalem.
Etymology
In Modern Hebrew, beit means house, mishkan residence, and nasi president, the last being derived from the Biblical Hebrew word for prince. Ha is the Hebrew definite article.
History
Before Beit HaNassi was built, President Chaim Weizmann lived in Rehovot in his own villa. Yitzhak Ben-Zvi used a cabin in Rehavia for his presidential duties while living in a regular apartment.{{cite news |author=David Kroyanker |title= From modesty to monstrosity |newspaper= Haaretz |date= 3 March 2010 |url= https://www.haaretz.com/1.5045480 |access-date=1 December 2021}}
In 1963, a plan to build a residence for the incoming president, Zalman Shazar, was started. During Shazar's presidency, he declined the offer to have the future residence built as part of existing political buildings.{{cite news |author= Greer Fay Cashman |title= Rothschild family steps in to rescue Beit Hanassi |url= https://www.jpost.com/Israel/Rothschild-family-steps-in-to-rescue-Beit-Hanassi |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |date= 30 April 2009 |access-date=26 July 2018}} As a result, the construction of a house in Talbiya was approved, to be built on a ten-dunam plot. In 1964, architect Aba Elhanani won the contest for the residence design. Beit HaNassi was inaugurated in 1971 by President Shazar. The design came under harsh criticism from different public figures.
During the visit to Israel of Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, President Shimon Peres inaugurated a new custom that all visiting world leaders would plant an olive tree in the Beit HaNassi "peace garden".[http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/75021/-pope-to-lay-roots-of-peace-in-beit-hanassi-visit.html Pope To Lay 'Roots Of Peace' In Beit Hanassi Visit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402233444/http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/75021/-pope-to-lay-roots-of-peace-in-beit-hanassi-visit.html |date=2012-04-02 }} Turkish Weekly, 1 May 2009
In October 2017, work was completed on a new, enlarged entrance to Beit Hanassi to enable faster processing of visitors to major events at the residence.[http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/New-entrance-for-presidents-house-506358 New entrance for president's house]
Gallery
File:The Meeting Room at the President of Israel Residence.jpg|Meeting room in 2008
File:Clinton Menorah Ceremony.jpg|U.S. President Clinton at menorah lighting ceremony at Beit HaNassi, 1998
File:Reuven Rivlin in the annual olive harvest in the garden of Beit HaNassi, November 2020 (GPOHA1 2768).jpg|Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in the annual olive harvest in the garden of Beit HaNassi, November 2020
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|Beit HaNassi}}
{{Coord|31|46|11|N|35|12|51|E|display=title|region:IL_type:landmark}}
External links
- [http://www.president.gov.il/English/About/Pages/Art.aspx Art at Beit HaNassi]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Official residences in Israel
Category:Presidential residences
Category:Buildings and structures in Jerusalem
Category:1971 establishments in Israel
Category:Houses completed in 1971
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