Civic Service Law, 5777-2017
חוק שירות אזרחי, תשע"ז-2017
Published: 2017-04-05Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2025-08-06 · Last amended 2025-08-05✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-17
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Section B: Integration of Populations in Service
Adequate Representation for Persons with Disabilities§
16.
(a)In this section –
"person with a disability" – as defined in section 5 of the Equal Rights Law;
"adjustments" and "undue burden" – as defined in section 8(e) of the Equal Rights Law, with the necessary modifications arising from the nature of national service and community volunteering under the provisions of this Law;
"Equal Rights Law" – Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law, 5758-1998.
(b)The Authority, the recognised bodies and the operating bodies shall act to ensure adequate representation among volunteers of persons with disabilities, in light of the fundamental principles of the Equal Rights Law.
(c)The Authority, the recognised bodies and the operating bodies shall act to promote the integration of volunteers who are persons with disabilities in the range of positions available for selection by candidates to serve in national service and in community volunteering, except in positions with which integration is incompatible with their substantive requirements, while making the adjustments required on account of their disability, all without imposing an undue burden on the Authority, the recognised bodies or the operating bodies.
(d)The Minister, with the approval of the Committee, shall prescribe provisions for the promotion of the integration of persons with disabilities as volunteers, including provisions on the following matters:
(1)the making of adjustments and the bearing of the costs of making them;
(2)targets for adequate representation for different types of operating bodies; however, the Minister may not prescribe a target that is lower than a previous target prescribed as aforesaid, including than the rate of representation of persons with disabilities as referred to in section 112(g).
(e)The Minister shall report to the Committee, once a year, on the integration of volunteers who are persons with disabilities in national service and in community volunteering, including within the framework of the recognised bodies and the operating bodies, and on the posts allocated by the Government in that regard; a report as aforesaid shall be published on the Authority's website.
Promotion of the Integration of At-Risk Youth§
17.
(a)The Minister, with the approval of the Committee, shall prescribe provisions for the promotion of the integration of at-risk youth as volunteers, including provisions on the following matters:
(1)rules and conditions for the provision of accompanying support and assistance services to youth as aforesaid, including residence in a service apartment;
(2)targets for adequate representation for different types of operating bodies; however, the Minister may not prescribe a target that is lower than a previous target prescribed as aforesaid, including than the rate of representation of at-risk youth as referred to in section 112(g).
(b)The Minister shall report to the Committee, once a year, on the integration of at-risk youth as volunteers in national service and in community volunteering, including within the framework of the recognised bodies and the operating bodies, and on the posts allocated by the Government in that regard; a report as aforesaid shall be published on the Authority's website.
Prohibition of Discrimination§
18.
(a)A recognised body or an operating body shall not discriminate between volunteers or between candidates for national service or community volunteering on the grounds of their sex, sexual orientation, personal status, pregnancy, fertility treatments, in-vitro fertilisation treatments, parenthood, age, race, religion, nationality, country of origin, place of residence, world view or political party, and shall not discriminate between them as aforesaid on the grounds of their disability, provided they are fit to perform their role within the framework of the service, all in relation to admission to service, termination of service or conditions of service.
(b)For the purposes of this section, the imposition of conditions that are not relevant to the matter shall also be regarded as discrimination.
(c)Discrimination under this section shall not be regarded as such if it is required by the nature or essence of the service or of the role within the framework of the service, or if it is required by provisions under section 3.
(d)For the purposes of this section, discrimination on grounds of disability shall also include the failure to make adjustments required on account of the special needs of a person with a disability that would enable the person to perform their role within the framework of the service.
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Contact Us →Section C: Special Types of Service
Service outside Israel and the Region§
19.
(a)Notwithstanding the provisions of section 5, the Director or a person authorised by the Director for that purpose (in this section – the Director) may authorise volunteers to perform part of their national service or community volunteering outside Israel and the Region (in this Law – overseas service), in the field of education or in the field of encouraging aliyah, provided they have completed a service period of at least 12 months in Israel or in the Region; the Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Finance, after consultation with the Minister of Labour, Welfare and Social Services, with the Minister of Justice and with the Council, and with the approval of the Committee, may prescribe, by Order, additional fields of service in which overseas service may be performed.
(b)The Director shall not grant authorisation for overseas service unless a recognised body has submitted a request to the Director therefor and all of the following conditions are met:
(1)the body that will operate the volunteers outside Israel and the Region is an operating body; however, for the purpose of granting operating body approval to such a body, the provisions of section 63 shall apply with the modifications that the Minister shall prescribe for that purpose;
(2)a list of the roles to be performed by the volunteers in overseas service has been submitted to the Director and the Director is satisfied that they fall within the fields of service under subsection (a) and that they are of public benefit to the community and to the State of Israel;
(3)a list of the names of the volunteers in respect of whom authorisation for overseas service is requested has been submitted to the Director and the Director is satisfied that they have completed a service period of at least 12 months in Israel or in the Region;
(4)the Director is satisfied that, in the circumstances of the matter and subject to the conditions imposed, it is possible to ensure adequate supervision over the performance of overseas service and over the safeguarding of the welfare of the volunteers;
(5)it has been proven to the Director's satisfaction that overseas service does not derogate from the rights conferred on volunteers under this Law;
(6)it has been proven to the Director's satisfaction that overseas service has been arranged with the State in which it is to be performed, including with regard to entry and residence visas for volunteers;
(7)the granting of the authorisation does not exceed the maximum quota set under subsection (d)(1).
(c)A volunteer may object before the Director to the volunteer's non-inclusion in the list referred to in subsection (b)(3), and the provisions of section 27 shall apply to the objection, with the necessary modifications.
(d)The Minister, with the approval of the Committee, shall prescribe provisions regarding overseas service, including provisions on the following matters:
(1)a maximum quota of posts for the operation of volunteers in overseas service;
(2)supervision over overseas service, including provisions regarding the mechanisms for inspection, monitoring and reporting on the operating body and the volunteers therein;
(3)the obligations of a recognised body to carry out actions to ensure the preservation of the rights of volunteers it has referred to overseas service;
(4)subject to the provisions of sections 9 and 10, the payments, benefits and conditions of service to which volunteers in overseas service shall be entitled, and the Minister may prescribe different provisions as aforesaid having regard to the place of performance of the service and the conditions of service;
(5)obligations, payments and special provisions arising from the special nature of overseas service, which shall apply to operating bodies under this section.
Operation of Volunteers pursuant to an Emergency Decision§
20.
(a)In this section –
"emergency decision" – any of the following:
(1)a declaration of a special situation on the home front under section 9c of the Civil Defence Law;
(2)a declaration of a civilian emergency incident under section 90b of the Police Ordinance;
(3)the issuance of an Order calling reserve service personnel to report for reserve service under section 8 of the Reserve Service Law;
(4)(Expired)
"Civil Defence Law" – Civil Defence Law, 5711-1951;
"Reserve Service Law" – Reserve Service Law, 5768-2008;
"Emergency Work Service Law" – Emergency Work Service Law, 5727-1967;
"Police Ordinance" – Police Ordinance [New Version], 5731-1971.
(b)
(1)Where an emergency decision has been given, the Minister may authorise the Director to issue instructions regarding a change in the manner of performance of service, as referred to in subsection (c), if the Minister considers that this is required for the purpose of assisting the citizens and residents of the State;
(2)the Minister's authorisation referred to in paragraph (1) shall enter into force upon its publication in Reshumot (Official Gazette); however, where urgent and special circumstances exist, the Minister may direct that the authorisation shall enter into force upon its being brought to public attention, by means of its publication in the media or in another manner determined by the Minister, and it shall also be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette) as soon as possible;
(3)the Minister's authorisation referred to in paragraph (1) shall expire at the time the emergency decision expires or at the time it is revoked; the Minister may direct the revocation of the authorisation at an earlier date if the circumstances on account of which the authorisation was given have ceased to exist.
(c)For as long as the Minister's authorisation referred to in subsection (b) remains in force, the provisions of this Law shall apply, with the modifications set out below, all or some of them, as the Director shall direct, and the Director may direct as aforesaid in a general manner or with respect to a field of service, an area of service, a specific operating body or the service of specific volunteers:
(1)the Director shall be entitled to permit volunteers to perform their service in a role or field other than the role or field in which they are operated, or in another operating body or in a body that is not an operating body, and also in fields or activities not listed under section 65;
(2)notwithstanding the provisions of section 6(b), volunteers shall be entitled to fill the place or roles of employees of the body in which they are to perform service, and shall be entitled to engage also in roles in which their operation is prohibited under section 6(c) or (f);
(3)notwithstanding the provisions of section 8(b), during the performance of service a volunteer shall be entitled to waive the conditions of service set out in the First Schedule relating to leave and holiday days, breaks and service hours, all or some of them; the Minister may prescribe conditions and limitations with respect to such a waiver;
(4)insofar as required as a result of the emergency decision, a volunteer may waive the volunteer's entitlement to residence in a service apartment under section 9(a)(3).
(d)Regulations shall not be made under this section and the arrangements and powers established by virtue thereof shall not be exercised, except to the extent that dealing with the emergency and assisting the citizens and residents of the State so require, and having regard to the needs, wellbeing and welfare of the volunteers.
(e)
(1)The operation of a volunteer as referred to in this section shall be carried out only if the volunteer has given specific written consent to the changes under this section; the volunteer shall be entitled to withdraw, at any time, from consent to the changes, all or some of them;
(2)the volunteer shall be provided with information regarding the rights and options available to the volunteer under this section, before the volunteer's consent to the performance of service with the changes under this section is required; the Minister may prescribe the manner of providing information to the volunteer under this paragraph.
(f)A volunteer's activity in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be deemed part of the volunteer's service period, for all purposes.
(g)Where a volunteer has served for more than seven days under the provisions of this section in a body other than the operating body in which the volunteer normally serves, the operating body shall, upon the expiry of the said period, cease to pay the recognised body for the operation of the volunteer under section 10, and the State Treasury shall indemnify the recognised body in respect of the payments not paid to it as aforesaid; the provisions of this subsection shall apply only to an operating body that is not a public authority or in which a public authority has not funded a post for the operation of a volunteer under section 71; the Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Finance, shall prescribe provisions regarding the manner of implementing the arrangements under this subsection.
(h)Where the Minister of Labour, Welfare and Social Services has declared the application of the provisions of Chapter IV of the Emergency Work Service Law, as referred to in that Chapter, the following provisions shall apply:
(1)the Director shall not exercise the Director's power with respect to subsection (c)(1) and (2), except with the consent of the Manpower General Inspector as defined in the Emergency Work Service Law;
(2)nothing in the provisions of this section and in the powers thereunder shall derogate from the provisions of the Emergency Work Service Law and from the powers thereunder, and nothing in the operation of a volunteer shall derogate from the possibility of calling the volunteer by Order under the said Law;
(3)where a volunteer has been called by Order under the provisions of the Emergency Work Service Law, the provisions of that Law shall apply to the volunteer notwithstanding any other provision of this Law.
(i)Where the authority competent to do so under section 9d of the Civil Defence Law has issued an instruction to the public regarding an obligation to remain in certain places, and has qualified that instruction with respect to employees at certain types of workplaces, the said qualification shall also apply to volunteers serving at those types of workplaces.
(j)The Minister may prescribe provisions regarding –
(1)the means of authorisation for the operation of volunteers by bodies that are not operating bodies or for their operation by operating bodies otherwise than in accordance with the authorisation held by them, and the modifications that shall apply in that regard to the conditions required under Chapter VII;
(2)the manner of completing service days on which a volunteer did not serve as a result of the emergency decision, including provisions regarding cases in which a volunteer shall be exempted from the obligation to complete service days as aforesaid.
(k)Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, an instruction shall not be given under subsection (c)(1) with respect to a volunteer in an operating body as specified below, unless the operating body has given its consent:
(1)a body included in the definition of "security establishment" in section 31(i);
(2)the National Fire and Rescue Authority.
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