Shirley Pinto, the first deaf member of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, was sworn into office today using sign language.
Pinto, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's Yamina party, entered the Israeli parliament after the resignation of one of the party's ministers through the "Norwegian Law," which allows any lawmaker appointed to a cabinet post to temporarily leave the Knesset, allowing thus another candidate on the party's list to enter parliament instead of them.
Knesset Secretary General Yardena Meller-Horowitz called Pinto's name to the plenum, and the lawmaker stood and, in both sign language and spoken Hebrew, pledged her allegiance to the Knesset.
Pinto is a long-time activist on issues related to disability, especially those related to hearing impairment, and serves as Yamina's representative to the World Zionist Congress.
She joined the party – then called New Right – in early 2019 on its list of candidates, but the party failed to cross the electoral threshold.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, head of Yamina, congratulated Pinto and praised the historic occasion.
"One of the most meaningful moments for me - for all of us," he tweeted after she was sworn in. "My dear Shirley, I am so proud of you."
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