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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 VII: Dissolution

Modes of dissolution§

42.

The dissolution of an association shall be voluntary dissolution or dissolution pursuant to a court order.

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Section A: Voluntary Dissolution

Decision on dissolution and appointment of a liquidator§
43.
(a)An association may, at a general meeting, decide on voluntary dissolution and on the appointment of a liquidator or liquidators; the decision requires a majority of two-thirds of those voting at the meeting, of which 21 days' advance notice was given to all members of the association, stating that a proposal to decide on dissolution will be put before the meeting.
(b)(Repealed)
(c)The dissolution shall commence two weeks after the adoption of the decision, unless a later date was specified therein for this purpose.
Declaration of solvency§
44.

A general meeting as referred to in section 43 shall not be convened unless a declaration has been submitted to the Registrar by a majority of the board members stating that they have examined the state of the association's affairs and are satisfied that it will be able to pay its debts in full within one year from the commencement of the dissolution.

Functions of the liquidator§
45.

The liquidator shall —

(1)collect the assets of the association and recover the debts owed to it by members and others;
(2)realise the assets of the association to the extent necessary to pay its debts;
(3)pay the debts of the association, including the costs of dissolution;
(4)deal with the surplus assets in accordance with section 58.
Notice to creditors§
46.
(a)Within two weeks of the commencement of the liquidator's appointment, the liquidator shall publish notice of the dissolution of the association and shall invite therein the creditors of the association to submit their claims to the liquidator within a reasonable time specified in the notice.
(b)The notice shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette); it shall also be published in two Hebrew-language daily newspapers, however if the majority of the members of the association are Arabic speakers — it shall be published in an Arabic-language daily newspaper.
Completion of Dissolution§
47.
(a)Upon the liquidator completing the dissolution proceedings, the liquidator shall convene a final general meeting and shall submit to it for approval a report on the dissolution, certified by the audit committee or by the auditing body; the provisions of section 37 shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to that report as well.
(b)Where the final general meeting has approved the report, the liquidator shall submit to the Registrar, within two weeks after the meeting, a copy of the report and of the minutes of the meeting.
Preservation of Jurisdiction§
48.

Voluntary dissolution shall not derogate from the power of the court to issue a dissolution order under section 49; where such an order is issued, the dissolution pursuant to the order shall be deemed to have commenced on the day on which the voluntary dissolution commenced.

Transfer from Voluntary Dissolution to Dissolution by Court Order§
48a.

In addition to the provisions of any law, where an association is being voluntarily dissolved, the court may at any stage, on the application of the Registrar, direct that the dissolution shall be by court order, if it has found that there is a public interest in the court's supervision of the dissolution proceedings of the association.

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Section B: Dissolution by Court Order

Grounds for Dissolution§
49.

The District Court may order the dissolution of an association in any of the following cases:

(1)the activities of the association are conducted in contravention of the law, of its purposes or of its articles;
(2)the association or its purposes are directed at the negation of the existence of the State of Israel or its democratic character;
(3)an investigator appointed under section 40 has recommended the dissolution of the association;
(4)the association is unable to pay its debts;
(5)the court has found that it is just and equitable to dissolve the association;
(6)the association has adopted, at a general meeting, a resolution on dissolution by court, and the resolution of the meeting was adopted by a majority of two-thirds of those voting at a meeting of which all members of the association were given 21 days' prior notice, with mention that it would be proposed at the meeting to resolve upon dissolution as aforesaid.
Application for a Dissolution Order§
50.
(a)An application for the dissolution of an association shall be submitted by the Attorney General or by the Registrar; an application as referred to in section 49(4) may also be submitted by a creditor to whom the association owes a debt of more than NIS 5,000; an application as referred to in sections 49(4) to (6) may also be submitted by the association.
(b)An application for dissolution as referred to in section 49(1), (2) or (5) shall not be submitted unless the Registrar has warned the association in writing to rectify the wrong and the association has not done so within a reasonable time after receipt of the warning.
Preliminary Inquiry§
51.

Where the Registrar has grounds to fear that one of the grounds for dissolution referred to in section 49(1), (2), (4) or (5) exists in relation to an association, the Registrar may require any member of the association or of any of its organs, and any employee thereof, to produce, within a period to be determined by the Registrar, any document in that person's possession and any information that may, in the Registrar's opinion, assist in clarifying the suspicion.

Appeal§
52.

The Attorney General, the Registrar, the association and any person who was a party to the proceedings in the District Court and was aggrieved by a dissolution order or by a refusal to grant one, may appeal to the Supreme Court; a person who was not a party to those proceedings and who was aggrieved may appeal if granted leave to do so by the President of the District Court.

Commencement of Dissolution§
53.

The commencement of dissolution pursuant to a court order shall be on the day on which the order is made, unless a different day is specified therein for that purpose.

Application of Provisions§
54.

The dissolution of an association by court order shall be governed, with the necessary modifications and with the modifications arising from the nature of the association as a non-profit corporation and subject to the provisions of this Law, by the provisions of sections 258, 263, 264, 267, 270, 276, 281, 285, 300 to 305, 307, 312, 313, 315 to 317, 336, and 373 to 378 of the Companies Ordinance [New Version], 5743-1983 (hereinafter – the Companies Ordinance), which continue to apply pursuant to section 376(1) of the Insolvency and Economic Rehabilitation Law, 5778-2018, as well as the provisions of Part 4 of that Law, and the Regulations made thereunder.

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Section C: Common Provisions

Acts and Representation§
55.

From the commencement of dissolution, and if the court has specified in the dissolution order a day prior to the making of the order for that purpose – from that day, the association shall no longer continue in any activity other than activities required for the implementation of the dissolution, and all authority to act on behalf of the association shall vest solely in the liquidator.

Court Directions§
56.

The court may, on the application of the liquidator, a member of the association or a creditor, give the liquidator directions in any matter relating to the dissolution.

Standing of the Registrar in Dissolution Proceedings§
56a.
(a)A copy of every application submitted in the course of proceedings for voluntary dissolution or for dissolution by court order of an association, and of every decision given in the course of such proceedings, shall be delivered to the Registrar.
(b)The court shall decide on an application submitted as referred to in subsection (a) after having given the Registrar an opportunity to express the Registrar's position.
(c)The Registrar may apply to the court with a request that it decide any question arising from the dissolution.
Duty to Provide Information§
57.

Every member of the association or of any of its organs, every person employed by it, and every person who was a member of the association or of any of its organs or was employed by it, is required, upon demand by the liquidator, to produce to the liquidator any document in that person's possession and any information relating to the affairs or business of the association.

Assets of a Dissolved Association§
58.
(a)Where an association has been dissolved and, after its debts have been paid in full, assets remain, they shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the articles, provided that if the association was dissolved by court order, the court is satisfied that the said provisions will not result in the assets of the association being distributed, after its dissolution, directly or indirectly, to members of the association or to its founders, or in assets being transferred, after dissolution, directly or indirectly, for purposes not closely related to the purposes of the association on the eve of the date of dissolution; if the association was voluntarily dissolved – if the Registrar is so satisfied; where there are no such provisions or where it is not practically possible to act in accordance with them, those assets shall be dedicated, pursuant to the directions of the court, to a purpose determined by the court to be closely related to the purposes of the association.
(b)The provisions of this section shall not apply in respect of an asset in relation to which it was stipulated, at the time of its transfer to the association, in an agreement or in the articles of the association, that it shall be transferred after dissolution to the person who transferred it to the association (in this subsection – the transferor) or to another person designated by the transferor.
Striking Off, Revival and Cancellation of Dissolution§
59.
(a)An association in which any of the following has occurred shall be regarded as an association that has ceased to operate:
(1)it has not paid a fee that it is required to pay under this Law within ninety days from the last day fixed for its payment;
(2)it has not submitted the financial report to the Registrar within ninety days from the last day fixed for that purpose in section 36;
(3)it has not complied with a judgment or decision of a court in a matter under this Law within the period fixed for that purpose, or within ninety days from the date on which the decision or judgment was given, whichever is the later.
(b)The Registrar may strike off an association that has ceased to operate, pursuant to the provisions of section 368 of the Companies Ordinance and the Regulations made thereunder, with the necessary modifications.
(c)The cancellation of the striking off of an association shall be governed, with the necessary modifications, by the provisions of section 369 of the Companies Ordinance and the Regulations made thereunder.
(d)The cancellation of the dissolution of an association shall be governed, with the necessary modifications, by the provisions of section 367 of the Companies Ordinance and the Regulations made thereunder.

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Chapter VIII: Existing Societies

Application for Registration§

60.
(a)A society founded under the Ottoman Law on Societies of the 29th day of the month of Rajab 1327 (1909) (hereinafter – the Ottoman Law), of which notice of its founding was given before the commencement of this Law in accordance with the Ottoman Law (hereinafter – existing society), may submit to the Registrar an application to be registered as an association; the provisions of section 2(a) shall apply to an application under this section.
(b)The Registrar shall accept an application for registration of an association if the authority of those signing the application to act on behalf of the society for its registration as an association has been established to the Registrar's satisfaction.

Registration of a Society as an Association§

61.
(a)Where an application as referred to in section 60 has been submitted, the Registrar shall register the existing society in the Register of Associations as an association, unless the Registrar considers himself precluded from doing so under sections 1, 3, 4(a) or 4(b), and the provisions of sections 4(c) and 7 shall apply, with the necessary modifications, in respect of the registration.
(b)From the day of registration as specified in the certificate of registration, the existing society shall become an association and the provisions of this Law shall apply to it.
(c)Where an existing society was registered as an association before the commencement of the Associations Law (Amendment No. 3), 5756-1996, the validity of the registration shall not be affected solely by reason of the application for its registration as an association having been submitted after the period fixed for that purpose in section 60(a) as worded before the commencement of that Law.

Society That Did Not Apply for Registration§

62.

An existing society that did not apply for registration as an association may be struck off by the Registrar; the proceedings for striking off and the revival of the society after its striking off shall be governed by the provisions of sections 368 and 369 of the Companies Ordinance, with the necessary modifications.

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Chapter IX: Miscellaneous

Registrar of Associations§

63.

The Minister of Justice shall appoint as Registrar of Associations a civil servant who is qualified to serve as a judge of a Magistrate's Court, and the Minister may appoint, from among civil servants as aforesaid, a deputy or deputies to the Registrar and delegate to them powers of the Registrar.

Fraud Offences§

64.
(a)A member of an association, an employee thereof or a person who is a member of an auditing body, who does any of the following, is liable to imprisonment of three years:
(1)gives a false answer to a question put to that person or provides false information when required under this Law to do so;
(2)with intent to deceive, continues to act on behalf of the association while it is in dissolution, in contravention of the provisions of section 55.

Strict Liability Offences§

64a.
(a)An association that has breached one of the following duties, and any person who was responsible for the breach of the duty, shall be liable to a fine as prescribed in section 61(a)(2) of the Penal Law, 5737-1977:
(1)maintaining a membership register as prescribed in section 18, an executive committee members register as prescribed in section 29, and account books as prescribed in section 35;
(2)holding a general meeting as referred to in section 20(a);
(3)recording minutes as prescribed in section 23;
(4)allowing a member of the executive committee, the audit committee or the auditing body to inspect the registers and documents referred to in section 35(b);
(5)submitting the documents referred to in section 38 to the Registrar;
(6)allowing a member of the association to inspect the registers and documents referred to in section 39(a);
(7)refraining from acting on behalf of the association when it is in liquidation, contrary to the provisions of section 55;
(8)submitting quarterly reports as referred to in section 2 of the Disclosure Duty Law regarding One Who Is Supported by a Foreign Political Entity, 5771-2011 (in this subsection – the Disclosure Duty Law);
(9)indicating that it is a supported entity whose principal funding derives from donations from foreign political entities, or indicating that the names of the foreign political entities from which it received such donations are set out on the Registrar's website, pursuant to sections 5a(a) to (c) of the Disclosure Duty Law.
(b)An offence under this section does not require proof of criminal intent or negligence.

Exemption from Application§

65.

The Minister of the Interior may, with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, prescribe by Regulations that a provision of this Law shall not apply to categories of associations, or shall apply to them with modifications, all as detailed in the Regulations.

Implementation and Regulations§

66.
(a)The Minister of the Interior is charged with the implementation of this Law and may, with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, make Regulations on any matter relating to its implementation, including with respect to –
(1)fees to be paid for acts of the Registrar and an annual fee; the collection of fees under this section shall be governed by the Tax (Collection) Ordinance;
(2)registration of pledges of associations;
(3)registration of existing societies as associations under section 60.
(a1)The Minister of Justice may prescribe provisions regarding the manner and form of submission of documents and reports under this Law; Regulations regarding reporting under section 37a require the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset.
(b)The Minister of Justice may make procedural Regulations for proceedings in court under this Law.
(c)The Minister of Justice may, with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, amend, by Order, the First Schedule and the Second Schedule.

Non-Application§

67.

The provisions of this Law shall not apply to –

(1)(Repealed)
(2)societies that are organisations of workers or of employers that exist or were founded before the expiry of three years from the date of commencement of this Law.

Application of the Ottoman Law§

68.

The Ottoman Law shall apply only to an existing society for as long as it has not been registered as an association or has not been struck off under section 62, and to societies to which this Law does not apply under section 67.

Amendment of the Trust Law§

69.

Section 35 of the Trust Law, 5739-1979 – is repealed.

Commencement§

70.

This Law shall come into force on the 26th day of Adar Bet 5741 (1 April 1981).

Publication§

71.

This Law shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette) within 30 days of the date of its adoption by the Knesset.

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