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Basic Law: The President of the State

חוק-יסוד: נשיא המדינה

Published: 1964-06-25Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2023-09-18 · Last amended 2014-05-22✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-05
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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.

Status§

1.

The head of State is a President.

Place of Residence§

2.

The place of residence of the President of the State is Jerusalem.

Election and Term of Office§

3.
(a)The President of the State is elected by the Knesset for seven years; the term of office shall be calculated according to the Hebrew calendar.
(b)The President of the State shall serve one term of office only.

Eligibility§

4.

Every Israeli citizen who is a resident of Israel is eligible to be a candidate for the office of President of the State.

Date of Election§

5.

The election of the President of the State shall be held not earlier than ninety days and not later than thirty days before the end of the term of office of the incumbent President; if the position of President of the State becomes vacant before the end of the term of office, the election shall be held within forty-five days from the day on which the position became vacant; the Speaker of the Knesset, in consultation with the Deputy Speakers, shall fix the date of the election and shall notify all members of the Knesset thereof in writing at least three weeks in advance; if the date of the election falls outside one of the sessions of the Knesset, the Speaker of the Knesset shall convene the Knesset for the purpose of electing the President of the State.

Nomination of Candidates§

6.
(a)
(1)A nomination of a candidate for President of the State shall be submitted in writing to the Speaker of the Knesset, together with the candidate's written consent, on the fourteenth day before the day of the election; a member of the Knesset shall not associate himself with the nomination of more than one candidate;
(2)A person whose candidacy has been proposed by at least ten members of the Knesset shall be a candidate for President of the State, unless the number of nominators falls below ten owing to the deletion of the name of a member of the Knesset as referred to in paragraph (3);
(3)If a member of the Knesset has associated himself with the nomination of more than one candidate, that member's name shall be deleted from the list of nominators of all the candidates he proposed; if the number of nominators of a candidate falls below ten owing to the deletion of a name from the list of nominators, a member of the Knesset who has not associated himself with any nomination may add his name to the list of nominators of that candidate, not later than eight days before the day of the election.
(b)The Speaker of the Knesset shall notify all members of the Knesset in writing, not later than seven days before the day of the election, of every candidate who has been nominated and of the names of the members of the Knesset who nominated him, and shall announce the candidates at the opening of the election sitting.

Voting§

7.

The election of the President of the State shall be by secret ballot at a sitting of the Knesset convened for that purpose only.

Election by Majority of Votes§

8.
(a)Where there are two or more candidates, the candidate who has received the votes of a majority of the members of the Knesset is elected; if no candidate has received such a majority, a second vote is taken; in the second vote only the two candidates who received the largest number of votes from members of the Knesset in the first vote shall stand for election; the candidate who receives in the second vote the majority of votes of the members of the Knesset participating in the vote and voting in favour of one of the candidates is elected. If two candidates receive an equal number of votes, the vote is repeated.
(b)Where there is only one candidate, the vote shall be for or against him and he shall be elected if the number of votes cast in his favour exceeds the number of votes cast against him; if the number of votes cast in his favour equals the number of votes cast against him, a second vote is taken.
(c)If no President is elected under subsection (b), a new election shall be held within thirty days from the day of the vote under the provisions of sections 5 to 7 and this section, provided that the nomination of the candidate under section 6(a) shall be submitted not later than seven days before the day of the election.

Declaration of Allegiance§

9.

The elected President shall declare and sign before the Knesset the following declaration of allegiance:

"I pledge to bear allegiance to the State of Israel and its laws and to faithfully fulfil my duties as President of the State".

Making of the Declaration and Commencement of Office§

10.
(a)The elected President shall make the declaration of allegiance at the end of the term of office of the outgoing President or as close as possible before that time, and shall commence his term of office at the end of the term of office of the outgoing President.
(b)If the position of President of the State becomes vacant before the end of the term of office, the elected President shall make the declaration of allegiance as soon as possible after his election and shall commence his term of office from the time of making the declaration.

Functions and Powers§

11.
(a)The President of the State shall —
(1)sign every law other than laws relating to his powers;
(2)fulfil the functions assigned to him under Basic Law: The Government;
(3)receive from the Government reports on its sittings;
(4)accredit the diplomatic representatives of the State, receive the credentials of diplomatic representatives sent to Israel by foreign States, authorise the consular representatives of the State, and recognise the appointments of consular representatives sent to Israel by foreign States;
(5)sign treaties with foreign States that have been approved by the Knesset;
(6)fulfil every function assigned to him by law in connection with the appointment of judges and other office holders and their removal from office.
(b)The President of the State has the power to pardon offenders and to mitigate penalties by reducing or commuting them.
(c)The President of the State shall fulfil every other function and shall have every other power assigned to him by law.

Countersignature§

12.

The signature of the President of the State on an official document requires the countersignature of the Prime Minister or of another Minister decided upon by the Government, except for a document connected with the formation of the Government or the dissolution of the Knesset.

Immunity in the Discharge of Functions§

13.
(a)The President of the State shall not be answerable before any court or tribunal in respect of anything connected with his functions or powers, and shall be immune from any legal proceedings in respect of such a matter.
(b)The President of the State is not obliged to give evidence about anything that came to his knowledge in the discharge of his functions as President of the State.
(c)The immunity of the President of the State under this section shall continue to apply after he has ceased to be President of the State.

Immunity from Criminal Proceedings§

14.

The President of the State shall not be brought to criminal trial; the period during which, by virtue of this section, the bringing of the President of the State to trial for an offence is prevented shall not be counted in the period of limitation of that offence.

Testimony§

15.

If the President of the State is required to give testimony, it shall be taken at the place and time to be determined with the consent of the President of the State.

Salary and Other Payments§

16.

The salary of the President of the State and other payments to be made to him during his term of office shall be determined by decision of the Knesset, which may authorise the Finance Committee to do so; decisions under this section shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Exclusivity of Office§

17.
(a)The President of the State shall not hold any position or discharge any function other than his position and function as President of the State, except with the consent of the Knesset Committee.
(b)The President of the State is exempt from all compulsory service.

Travel Abroad§

18.

The President of the State shall not leave the boundaries of the State except with the consent of the Government.

Resignation§

19.

The President of the State may resign from office by submitting a letter of resignation to the Speaker of the Knesset; the letter of resignation does not require a countersignature; the position of President of the State shall become vacant after the letter of resignation has reached the hands of the Speaker of the Knesset.

Removal of the President from Office§

20.
(a)The Knesset may, by decision, remove the President of the State from office if it has determined that he is unfit for his office by reason of conduct unbecoming his status as President of the State.
(b)The Knesset shall not remove the President of the State from office except following a complaint brought before the Knesset Committee by at least twenty members of the Knesset and on the recommendation of the Knesset Committee adopted by a majority of three-quarters of the members of the Committee; the decision of the Knesset on the removal of the President from office likewise requires a majority of three-quarters of its members.
(c)The Knesset Committee shall not recommend the removal of the President of the State from office unless he has been given an opportunity to refute the complaint in accordance with a procedure determined by the Committee with the approval of the Knesset; and the Knesset shall not decide to remove the President of the State from office unless he has been given an opportunity to be heard in accordance with a procedure determined by the Knesset Committee with the approval of the Knesset.
(d)The President of the State may be represented before the Knesset Committee and before the Knesset by his representative, provided that a member of the Knesset shall not serve as the representative of the President; the Knesset Committee and the Knesset may invite the President of the State to be present during the proceedings under this section.
(e)The proceedings of the Knesset under this section shall be conducted at a sitting convened for that purpose only or at consecutive sittings convened as aforesaid; the proceedings shall commence not later than twenty days after the decision of the Knesset Committee; the Speaker of the Knesset shall notify all members of the Knesset in writing of the time of commencement at least ten days in advance; if the commencement of the proceedings falls outside one of the sessions of the Knesset, the Speaker of the Knesset shall convene the Knesset for the purpose of conducting the proceedings.

Vacation of Office on Health Grounds§

21.
(a)The Knesset may, by a decision adopted by a majority of its members, determine that for health reasons the President of the State is permanently unable to fulfil his functions.
(b)The Knesset shall not adopt a decision as aforesaid except upon a proposal of the Knesset Committee adopted by a majority of two-thirds of its members on the basis of a medical opinion given in accordance with rules laid down by the Committee.
(c)If the Knesset has so decided, the office of the President of the State shall become vacant as from the day of the decision.

Temporary Interruption§

22.
(a)The President of the State shall temporarily cease to fulfil his functions and exercise his powers —
(1)if he has left the borders of the State — from the time of his departure until his return;
(2)if he has notified the Knesset Committee that he is temporarily unable to fulfil his functions, and the Knesset Committee has approved his notification by a majority of votes — from the approval of the notification until the end of the period fixed by the Committee in its decision or until the President of the State has notified the Knesset Committee that he is no longer unable to fulfil his functions, whichever is the earlier;
(3)if the Knesset Committee has decided by a majority of two-thirds of its members, on the basis of a medical opinion given in accordance with rules laid down by the Committee, that for health reasons the President of the State is temporarily unable to fulfil his functions — from the adoption of the decision until the end of the period fixed by the Committee in its decision or until the Committee has decided that the President is no longer unable to fulfil his functions.
(b)The Knesset Committee shall not fix, under subsection (a)(2) or (3), a period exceeding three months; it may extend it, consecutively, by not more than three additional months; extension of the period beyond that requires a decision of the Knesset adopted by a majority of the members of the Knesset upon a proposal of the Knesset Committee.

Acting President and Deputy President of the State§

23.
(a)When the office of the President of the State has become vacant and until the new President of the State has commenced his term, the Speaker of the Knesset shall serve as Acting President of the State.
(b)During the period in which the President of the State has temporarily ceased to fulfil his functions and exercise his powers, the Speaker of the Knesset shall serve as Deputy President of the State.
(c)In his capacity as Acting President of the State or as Deputy President of the State, the Speaker of the Knesset shall discharge the duties imposed on the President of the State by law and exercise the powers vested in the President of the State by law.

Notices in Reshumot (Official Gazette)§

24.
(a)The Speaker of the Knesset shall publish a notice in Reshumot (Official Gazette) of the following —
(1)the commencement of the term of office of the President of the State;
(2)the vacation of the office of the President of the State;
(3)the commencement of the Speaker of the Knesset's service as Deputy President of the State, and the termination of such service, under section 22(a)(2) or (3).
(b)The Prime Minister shall publish a notice in Reshumot (Official Gazette) of the departure of the President of the State from the borders of the State and of his return.

Entrenchment of the Law§

25.

Notwithstanding anything provided in any other law, emergency Regulations have no power to alter this Law, to suspend its validity temporarily, or to prescribe conditions therein.

Repeal§

26.
(a)The following are repealed —
(1)sections 2(c), 6 and 7 of the Transition Law, 5709-1949;
(2)the President of the State (Tenure) Law, 5712-1951.
(b)The Salaries of the President of the State, Members of the Government and the Chief Rabbis of Israel Law, 5711-1950, shall no longer apply to the salary of the President of the State or to the payments due to him or to his survivors.

Transitional Provision§

27.

The President of the State who was elected by the Knesset on the 27th of Iyyar 5723 (21 May 1963) shall be deemed to have been elected under this Law and to be serving thereunder.

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