Israeli Legislation.com
LawAdministrative Law

Classification, Labelling and Prohibition of Harmful Broadcasts Law, 5761-2001

חוק סיווג, סימון ואיסור שידורים מזיקים, תשס"א-2001

Published: 2001-01-11Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-08-02 · Last amended 2026-07-28✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
Premium
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.

Definitions§

1.

In this Law –

"Bezeq Law" means the Communications Law (Bezeq and Broadcasting), 5742-1982;

"Broadcasting Distribution Law" means the Broadcasting Distribution via Digital Broadcasting Stations Law, 5772-2012;

"Second Authority Law" means the Second Authority for Television and Radio Law, 5750-1990;

"child" means a person who has not yet reached the age of 12;

"television programme" means a programme produced for the purpose of broadcasting on television, excluding a news programme, a trailer or an advertisement;

"programme", "advertisement" or "advertising programme", "trailer" – as defined under the Bezeq Law, and in respect of programmes under the Second Authority Law – as defined under that Law;

"the Committee" means the Education and Culture Committee of the Knesset;

"the Minister" means the Minister of Communications.

Obligation to Label§

2.
(a)A television programme broadcast in Israel that contains visual, verbal or audio expressions of violence, sex or cruelty, or in respect of which there is a reasonable concern that it may encourage criminal conduct or the use of dangerous drugs, shall bear a label as provided in section 3 indicating that the programme is unsuitable for viewing by persons of a certain age and below; a trailer for a programme that must be labelled under this subsection shall include information to be prescribed by Regulations indicating that the programme is unsuitable for viewing by persons of a certain age and below.
(b)The Minister may prescribe rules under which –
(1)categories of programmes, or programmes broadcast at hours to be prescribed, shall be exempt from the obligation to label;
(2)categories of trailers for programmes that must be labelled under this section, or trailers broadcast at hours to be prescribed, shall be exempt from the obligation to include information as referred to in subsection (a).

Basic Labels§

3.
(a)A label under this Law shall relate to a television programme that is unsuitable for viewing by persons of a certain age and below, and may also relate to one of the following characteristics if they constitute a prominent element in the programme:
(1)violence;
(2)sex;
(3)cruelty;
(4)pornography;
(5)encouragement of criminal conduct;
(6)encouragement of the use of dangerous drugs.
(b)The Minister shall prescribe the form of the labels referred to in subsection (a), their placement, the duration of their appearance, their frequency and the manner of their presentation.
(c)The Minister, in consultation with the Minister of Education, may prescribe additional labels for the purpose of achieving the objective of this Law.

Responsibility for Implementing Labelling and Supervision of Implementation§

4.
(a)The following are responsible for implementing the labelling under this Law:
(1)in respect of broadcasting under the Israeli Public Broadcasting Law, 5774-2014 – the Public Broadcasting Corporation as defined in that Law;
(2)in respect of broadcasting under the Second Authority Law – the holder of a licence for television broadcasts as defined in that Law;
(3)
(a)in respect of broadcasting under Chapter II-A of the Bezeq Law – the holder of a licence for cable broadcasts as defined in section 6a and the holder of a franchise as defined in section 6l1, in that Law;
(b)in respect of broadcasting under Chapter II-B of the Bezeq Law – the holder of a licence for satellite broadcasts as defined in section 6aq of that Law;
(4)(Repealed)
(5)in respect of broadcasts by a thematic channel broadcaster under the Broadcasting Distribution Law – a thematic channel broadcaster as defined in that Law.
(6)in respect of broadcasts by the holder of a licence for broadcasting by means of digital broadcasting stations as defined in the Broadcasting Distribution Law, in accordance with such licence – the licence holder.
(b)The following are the bodies responsible for supervising the implementation of the labelling in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a):
(1)supervision of implementation under paragraph (1) – the Minister of Communications;
(2)supervision of implementation under paragraph (2) – the Authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 5(b)(5) of the Second Authority Law;
(3)supervision of implementation under paragraphs (3), (5) and (6) – the Council in accordance with the provisions of section 6e(1)(d) of the Bezeq Law;
(4)(Repealed)
(c)In respect of a broadcast not as referred to in subsection (a) – the Minister may prescribe the person responsible for implementing its labelling and the person responsible for supervising the implementation of such labelling; where a person responsible for implementing the labelling has been prescribed, the Minister shall deliver to that person a notice to that effect; the provisions of section 237 of the Criminal Procedure Law [Consolidated Version], 5742-1982, shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to the delivery of a notice under this subsection.

Prohibited Advertising Broadcasts and Trailers§

4a.
(a)An advertisement or trailer that may encourage criminal conduct or the use of dangerous drugs shall not be broadcast on television.
(b)An advertisement or trailer containing visual, verbal or audio expressions of violence, sex or cruelty shall not be broadcast on television:
(1)during or between programmes intended for children, or immediately adjacent to them;
(2)between the hours of 14:30 and 21:00 on weekdays, and between the hours of 06:00 and 21:00 on Sabbaths and festivals.
(c)The Minister may prescribe that the provisions of subsection (b)(2) shall not apply to a broadcasting channel or a programme that is not intended for children and that is broadcast at the hours specified in that subsection.
(d)A person responsible for supervising the implementation of labelling in accordance with the provisions of section 4 (in this Law – the supervisory body):
(1)shall prescribe rules in respect of subsections (a) and (b);
(2)shall prescribe rules regarding the issuance of warnings under section 5;
(3)may prescribe that the provisions of subsection (b) shall not apply to a broadcasting channel or a live broadcast originating outside Israel whose production was not made especially for the public in Israel.
(e)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (d), rules and provisions under that subsection shall be prescribed, in respect of broadcasting under the Second Authority Law, by the Council as defined in that Law.
(f)A person responsible, in accordance with the provisions of section 4, for implementing the labelling (in this Law – the responsible body) shall also be responsible for preventing the broadcast of an advertisement or trailer whose broadcast is prohibited under the provisions of this section.
(g)The supervisory body shall also supervise the prevention of the broadcast of an advertisement or trailer whose broadcast is prohibited under the provisions of this section.

Penalties§

5.
(a)A responsible body that does any of the following is liable to the fine referred to in section 61(a)(4) of the Penal Law, 5737-1977:
(1)broadcasts a television programme that is not labelled in accordance with the provisions of this Law, after having received a warning from the supervisory body that the programme is not labelled in accordance with the provisions of this Law;
(2)broadcasts on television an advertisement or trailer in contravention of the provisions under section 4a, after having received a warning from the supervisory body that the advertisement or trailer was broadcast in contravention of the provisions under that section.
(b)Nothing in the provisions of any law authorising the supervisory body to enforce the implementation of provisions under this Law, including provisions authorising the imposition of a financial sanction or the withdrawal of broadcasting hours, shall derogate from the authority of a prosecutor to file an indictment under this section if the prosecutor considers that the circumstances justify doing so, for reasons to be recorded.

Implementation and Regulations§

6.
(a)The Minister is charged with the implementation of this Law and may make Regulations for its implementation.
(b)Regulations under this Law, other than Regulations under section 3, require the approval of the Committee.
(c)Regulations or rules under sections 2(b), 3(b) and (c) and 4a(c) in respect of programmes, trailers or advertisements broadcast under the laws referred to in section 4(a) shall be prescribed after consultation with the body responsible for supervising the implementation of the labelling in accordance with the provisions of section 4(b).

Preservation of Powers§

6a.

Powers under this Law do not derogate from powers conferred on the supervisory body under any other enactment.

Amendment of the Second Authority Law – No. 13§

7.

In the Second Authority for Television and Radio Law, 5750-1990, in section 5(b), in paragraph (10), at its end there shall come "and including to supervise the implementation of the obligation to label and provide information by franchise holders, in accordance with the provisions of the Classification and Labelling of Broadcasts Law, 5761-2001".

Amendment of the Bezeq Law – No. 24§

8.

In the Communications Law (Bezeq and Broadcasting), 5742-1982, in section 6e(1), in paragraph (d), at its end there shall come "and including to supervise the implementation of the obligation to label and provide information by a licence holder or a franchise holder, in accordance with the provisions of the Classification and Labelling of Broadcasts Law, 5761-2001".

Commencement§

9.

This Law shall commence on the 1st of the month following the expiry of six months from the date of its publication.

Need to cite this law in a foreign court?

Eli Shimony Israeli Attorneys-at-Law provides certified Expert Legal Opinions on Israeli law within 24–48 hours, accepted by courts worldwide.

Contact Us →
LawAdministrative Law

חוק סיווג, סימון ואיסור שידורים מזיקים, תשס"א-2001

harmful broadcasts law

classification labelling prohibition broadcasts

broadcast classification law

broadcast regulation israel

harmful content broadcasts

broadcast labelling law

broadcast prohibition law

media classification israel

broadcast standards law