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Associations Law, 5740-1980

חוק העמותות, תש"ם-1980

Published: 1980-08-12Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-03-12 · Last amended 2024-09-15✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-29
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

This English text was translated from the official Hebrew using a range of translation tools, and it undergoes ongoing checks and updates. It is not a certified translation.

Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Chapter I: Establishment

The Right to Establish an Association§

1.

Two or more persons who are adults and who wish to incorporate as a corporation for a lawful purpose that is not directed at the distribution of profits among its members and whose primary purpose is not the making of profits, may establish an association; the association shall come into existence upon its registration in the Register of Associations.

Application for Registration of an Association§

2.
(a)An application for the registration of an association shall be submitted by the founders to the Registrar of Associations (hereinafter – the Registrar) by electronic means, and shall specify the name of the association, its purposes, its address in Israel, its digital address, one item from each detail listed in the Fourth Schedule to the Companies Law, the names of the founders, their addresses and identity numbers; the application shall be accompanied by a declaration signed by all the founders of their willingness to establish an association as set out in the application and to serve therein as members of the executive committee; the identity of the founders shall be authenticated electronically as the Registrar shall determine pursuant to section 38b(b), or by a lawyer.
(b)After the submission of the application, and for so long as the association has not been registered, the Registrar shall recognise any application to amend or correct a detail as referred to in subsection (a), if it is signed by a majority of the founders who signed the original application; provided that it has been proved to his satisfaction that notice of the decision to submit an application for amendment or correction was sent to all founders by registered post at least 14 days before the date of its submission; an application for amendment or correction as referred to in this subsection shall be submitted by electronic means.
(c)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b), the Registrar may permit the submission of an application pursuant to those subsections other than by electronic means if circumstances exist that justify doing so.
(d)In this Law –

"Companies Law" means the Companies Law, 5759-1999;

"digital address" has the same meaning as in the Companies Law.

Restrictions on Registration of an Association§

3.

An association shall not be registered if one of its purposes negates the existence of the State of Israel or its democratic character, or if there are reasonable grounds for the conclusion that the association will serve as a cover for unlawful activities.

Restrictions on the Name of an Association§

4.
(a)An association shall not be registered under a name that is likely to deceive or to offend public policy or public sensitivities.
(b)An association shall not be registered under a name identical to the name of any of the following, or so similar thereto as to be misleading:
(1)a corporation lawfully registered in Israel;
(2)a corporation that was lawfully registered in Israel, whose registration has been cancelled and two years have not yet elapsed since the date of cancellation of registration of that corporation;
(3)an association that is in the process of registration;
(4)a name requested for an association following the completion of a merger within the meaning of Chapter IV-B, if it was specified in the documents submitted pursuant to section 34g(6).
(c)
(1)Where an association has been registered under a name under which it may not be registered pursuant to subsection (a) or (b), the Registrar may require it to change the name;
(2)If the association has not changed its name within four months or within such other time as the Registrar specified in his requirement, whichever is the later, the Registrar may, with the consent of the Attorney General, change its name to a name of his choosing, having regard to its previous name and its purposes;
(3)If the Registrar has decided to change the name of the association as referred to in paragraph (2), he shall send to the association a certificate of change of name, and for the purposes of its publication the change shall be treated as if it had been determined pursuant to a decision of the association;
(4)The Minister of Justice may, with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, prescribe provisions regarding the publication of a change of name pursuant to this subsection.

Registration of an Association§

5.

Where an application has been submitted in accordance with section 2, the Registrar shall register the association in the Register of Associations unless he considers himself precluded from doing so pursuant to sections 1, 3, 4(a) or 4(b).

Temporary Registration§

5a.
(a)Where an application has been submitted pursuant to section 2 for the registration of an association whose purposes are the raising of funds for the saving of human lives, and the Registrar has not registered it in the Register of Associations within two weeks from the date on which the application was submitted, for a reason other than refusal to register it, the founders may request the Minister of the Interior to direct the manner of examination of the application and registration of the association within a period not exceeding 14 days from the date of the giving of the direction as aforesaid.
(b)The provisions of sections 1, 3 and 4 shall apply to the examination and registration of an association pursuant to subsection (a).
(c)The validity of the registration of an association registered by virtue of subsections (a) and (b) is for one year.
(d)Where one year has elapsed from the date of the temporary registration of the association and the association has not been registered pursuant to section 5, its assets shall, after its debts have been paid in full, be transferred to another association designated by the General Guardian appointed pursuant to the General Guardian Law, 5738-1978, whose purposes are, in his opinion, close to the purposes of the association whose temporary registration has expired.
6.§

(Repealed — תשס״ה־3)

Publication and Certificate of Registration§

7.

Upon the registration of an association, the Registrar shall publish notice thereof in Reshumot (Official Gazette) and shall issue to the association a certificate of registration; the certificate shall be conclusive evidence that the association was lawfully established.

The Association as a Corporation§

8.

From the day specified in the certificate of registration as the date of registration, the association shall be a corporation, capable of any right, obligation and legal act.

Use of Name§

8a.

The name of the association shall be specified in every document, signage or publication issued on its behalf, in the full form appearing in the certificate of registration; the name shall be specified in uniform characters without abbreviations or omissions and shall include at its end the designation "amuta", "amuta reshumah" or "(A.R.)".

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Chapter I-A: Address, Digital Address and Modes of Service

Address and Modes of Service§

8b.
(a)From the day on which an association is registered, it is obligatory that it have an address in Israel to which any notice to the association may be directed.
(b)Notice of a change of address shall be given to the Registrar within 14 days after the change and he shall register the change.
(c)Service of a notice or document on an association shall be effected by leaving it at the address of the association as registered with the Registrar at the time of delivery, or by sending it thereto by post.
(d)Service of a notice or document from the Registrar on an association may also be effected by leaving it at the place where the Registrar is satisfied that the association actually conducts its activities.

The Digital Address§

8c.
(a)From the day on which an association is registered, it is obligatory that it have a digital address, one item from each detail listed in the Fourth Schedule to the Companies Law.
(b)Notice of a change of digital address as referred to in section 2(a) shall be given to the Registrar within 14 days after the change and he shall register the change.
(c)The Registrar shall register the digital address of the association that was specified for registration as referred to in section 2(a) or in a notice of change as referred to in subsection (b), after having notified it as referred to in section 3b(a)(1) and (3) of the Digital Communication with Public Bodies Law, 5778-2018, and after having verified that the digital address is valid and active.

Storage of Documents at the Association's Address§

8d.
(a)An association shall keep the following documents at its address:
(1)the articles of the association;
(2)the documents listed in section 39(a).
(b)An association may keep the documents referred to in subsection (a) by electronic means, provided that those entitled to inspect them shall have the ability to obtain copies of the documents.

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Chapter II: Articles

The Articles – as a Contract§

9.

Every association shall have articles as detailed in this Chapter; the articles shall have the same force as a contract between the association and its members and among the members themselves.

Registered Articles and Model Articles§

10.

The founders may submit articles for the association to the Registrar; if the founders have not submitted articles to the Registrar as aforesaid, the model articles set out in the First Schedule shall be treated as the articles of the association.

Amendment of Articles, Name and Purposes§

11.
(a)An association may amend its articles, name and purposes by a decision of the general meeting adopted by a majority of those entitled to vote therein; a decision pursuant to this section requires registration by the Registrar and the provisions of sections 4 to 7 and 10 shall apply, with the necessary modifications; a decision takes effect from the date of its registration by the Registrar.
(b)The substitution of one of the purposes of an association with another purpose, or the amendment of provisions of the articles regarding the designation of assets upon dissolution (in this section – a purpose), as well as the addition of a purpose to the purposes of an association or the removal of a purpose therefrom (in this section – amendment of purposes), shall be adopted by a decision of the general meeting, after the executive committee has presented to it particulars of the assets accumulated for the purposes of the association prior to the requested amendment, and the commitments undertaken by the association in this regard, including towards donors to the association.
(c)An amendment of purposes as referred to in subsection (b) shall be made as set out below, as the case may be:
(1)if the purpose that the association seeks to substitute, remove or add is close to the purpose it is substituting or to its other purposes (in this section – a kindred purpose), such amendment requires registration by the Registrar; if the Registrar is of the opinion that the said purpose is not a kindred purpose – he shall notify the association accordingly and it shall act as set out in paragraph (2);
(2)if the purpose that the association seeks to substitute or add is not a kindred purpose, or if the association has no kindred purpose to the purpose it seeks to remove, such amendment requires the approval of the court.
(d)The Registrar shall not register an amendment of purposes as referred to in subsection (c)(1) unless he is satisfied that in the circumstances of the matter it is just and proper to do so, having regard to the purposes of the association, its activities prior to the amendment, and the commitments undertaken by the association for the purpose of the amendment.
(e)The court shall decide on an application for an amendment of purposes of an association pursuant to this section after having given the Registrar an opportunity to express his position; the court shall not approve an amendment of purposes unless it is satisfied that in the circumstances of the matter it is just and proper to do so, having regard to the purposes of the association and its activities prior to the amendment, and subject to such conditions and arrangements as it shall determine.
(f)Where the Registrar has received from an association a copy of the court decision approving an amendment of purposes pursuant to subsection (c), he shall register it in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a).
(g)The Minister of Justice may prescribe provisions regarding the obligation of an association to give notice of its intention to amend its purposes or of the amendment of purposes, and the modes and times for giving such notice, having regard to the types of associations, and he may authorise the Registrar to prescribe such provisions in respect of a particular association, having regard to its character or the circumstances of the matter.

Contents of the Articles§

12.
(a)Any articles or amendment of articles submitted to the Registrar pursuant to sections 10 and 11 shall be registered by him if he finds that the provisions of sections 1, 15 to 20, 23, 27 to 39 and 43 to 47 and sections 1(a), 1(b), 7 and 12 of the model articles set out in the First Schedule have been complied with.
(b)Where articles have been submitted to the Registrar or registered by him and a matter regulated in the model articles is not regulated therein, is only partially regulated therein, or is defectively regulated therein in a manner that conflicts with the provisions of subsection (a), the provisions of the model articles shall apply to the lacuna or the defect.

Restrictions on Authority§

13.

The articles may restrict the authority of the association to amend its articles, name or purposes, by requiring for an amendment a majority greater than that referred to in section 11 or by prescribing other conditions therefor.

14.§

(Repealed — תשפ״ב)

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Chapter III: Members

Eligibility§

15.
(a)Any person who has attained the age of seventeen years and any corporation is eligible to be a member of an association.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of section 4 of the Legal Capacity and Guardianship Law, 5722-1962, the joining of a minor to an association and the voting of a minor who is a member of the association at a general meeting do not require the consent of his representative.

Conditions of Membership§

16.

The conditions of membership in an association, the lapsing of membership, the admission of members, their resignation and expulsion shall be in accordance with the provisions of the articles; however –

(1)the resignation of a member shall not be conditioned except upon the giving of reasonable advance notice;
(2)a member shall not be expelled except for reasons specified in the articles and after he has been given an adequate opportunity to state his case.

Nature§

17.

Membership in an association is personal, is not transferable and does not pass by inheritance.

Register of Members§

18.

An association must maintain a register of members and record therein each member, his address, his identity number, the date of commencement of his membership and the date of its expiry.

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Chapter IV: Organs

Mandatory and Optional Organs§

19.
(a)Every association shall have a general meeting, an executive committee and an audit committee, and may have additional organs as provided in its articles.
(b)The general meeting may resolve that instead of an audit committee, an auditor or a body approved for this purpose by the Registrar shall be appointed (hereinafter – the auditing body).
(c)
(1)Without prejudice to the provisions of subsection (b), an association whose annual turnover exceeds NIS 1,380,630 is required to appoint an auditor;
(2)The amount referred to in paragraph (1) shall be linked to the Consumer Price Index published by the Central Bureau of Statistics and shall be rounded to the nearest amount that is a multiple of ten new shekels; the Minister of the Interior shall publish in Reshumot (Official Gazette) at the beginning of the month of February of each year the said amount as updated for that year;
(3)In this section –

"turnover" – as defined in the Second Schedule;

"auditor" – including a partnership of certified public accountants, a company of certified public accountants or any other lawful association of certified public accountants.

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