Israeli Legislation.com
LawReal Estate & Land

Israel Lands Authority Law, 5720-1960

חוק רשות מקרקעי ישראל, תש"ך-1960

Published: 1960-07-29Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-07-22 · Last amended 2026-07-21✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-29
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 and subordination§

1.

In this Law –

"Land Law" – the Land Law, 5729-1969;

"Government Authority for Urban Renewal Law" – the Government Authority for Urban Renewal Law, 5776-2016;

"Israel Lands" – as defined in Basic Law: Israel Lands, and the provisions of this Law are subject to the provisions of that Basic Law and to the provisions of the Israel Lands Law, 5720-1960;

"the Council" – the Israel Lands Council established under this Law;

"Land Registers", "registers" – as defined in the Land Law;

"JNF" – the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael);

"Government Authority for Urban Renewal" – as defined in the Government Authority for Urban Renewal Law;

"the Minister" – the Minister of Construction and Housing;

"the Ministers" – the Minister of Construction and Housing and the Minister of Finance.

Objectives of the Israel Lands Authority§

1a.

The Israel Lands Authority shall act, within the framework of its functions –

(1)to administer Israel Lands as a resource for the development of the State of Israel for the benefit of the public, the environment and future generations, including the preservation of sufficient land reserves for the needs and future development of the State, while maintaining a proper balance between conservation needs and development needs, and between land marketing and the preservation of land reserves for public purposes;
(2)to promote competition in the real property market and to prevent the concentration of holdings of real property.

Israel Lands Authority, the director and employees§

2.
(a)There is hereby established the Israel Lands Authority (in this Law – the Authority), which shall administer Israel Lands.
(b)
(1)The Prime Minister and the Ministers shall appoint a director for the Authority who shall be a State employee, for a term of office of five years, and shall also appoint a deputy for him; the obligation to hold a tender under section 19 of the State Service (Appointments) Law, 5719-1959 shall not apply to the appointment of the director of the Authority; notice of the appointment shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette);
(2)the director of the Authority is directly subordinate to the Minister, and he shall be vested with the powers of a Minister and of the Civil Service Commissioner under the Law referred to in paragraph (1), in all matters relating to the Authority and its employees.
(c)Without derogating from the provisions of section 6 of the State Property Law, 5711-1951, the director of the Authority is authorised, together with the comptroller of the Authority, to represent the Government in transactions as referred to in sections 4 and 5 of that Law, for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this Law, and to sign on behalf of the State on documents relating to such transactions.
(d)If the Ministers are of the opinion that the director of the Authority is not properly performing his functions, they may, with the approval of the Government, notify him in a reasoned written notice that if within a reasonable time specified in the notice he does not fulfil what is required of him as set out in the notice, they will order the termination of his term of office; if the director has not fulfilled what was required of him within the time specified in the said notice, the Ministers may notify him of the termination of his term of office.
(e)
(1)the employees of the Authority shall be State employees;
(2)the employees of the Authority shall be subject to the supervision of the director of the Authority and shall act in accordance with his instructions.

Functions of the Authority§

2a.

The following are the functions of the Authority:

(1)the allocation of land for residential, affordable housing, public housing, employment, open space and other purposes, in the locations and in the scope required according to the needs of the economy, society and the environment, including future needs;
(2)the acquisition of land and assistance to the State in the expropriation of land under any law, including for environmental purposes;
(3)the protection of the rights of owners in Israel Lands;
(4)the promotion of the registration of rights in Israel Lands in the Land Registers;
(5)the provision of services to holders of rights in Israel Lands, as required, for the purpose of managing or realising their rights;
(6)the publication of information in connection with Israel Lands, including particulars of the Authority's agreements in respect of real property under its administration, as well as data regarding the availability of Israel Lands for planning, development and the preservation of open spaces;
(7)any other function relating to the administration of Israel Lands imposed upon it under any law or pursuant to a Government decision.

Regulations for the promotion of competition and prevention of concentration of real property holdings§

2b.

The Minister, in consultation with the Minister of Finance and with the approval of the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee of the Knesset, shall prescribe provisions restricting the allocation of real property where, as a result thereof, a person would hold real property designated for residential or employment purposes, including in certain areas, in a proportion exceeding a proportion he has prescribed, and may prescribe in the said manner cases in which a person shall be required to transfer his rights in real property that has been allocated if his proportion of real property holdings has exceeded a proportion he has prescribed.

Setting Targets for the Marketing of Housing Units for Affordable Housing§

2c.
(a)The Government, or a ministerial committee on its behalf, shall determine, by 31 March of each year, upon the recommendation of the Council, a minimum number of housing units for affordable housing to be marketed to the public by the Authority or by a person authorised to do so under law in that year (in this section – minimum number for marketing), according to the following breakdown:
(1)housing units for long-term rental as defined in the Sixth Schedule to the Planning and Building Law, 5725-1965;
(2)housing units for rental at a reduced price, as defined in the decisions of the Council;

In its determination, the Government shall address separately the housing units referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) to be marketed in the Negev and in the Galilee.

(b)(Repealed)
(c)The Minister shall report to the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee of the Knesset no later than 30 April of each year, on the number of housing units for affordable housing that were marketed by the end of the preceding year, on the targets set by the Government under subsection (a) for the year in which the report is submitted, and also on the estimated value of the affordable housing discount determined in respect of that year.
(d)In this section –

"affordable housing" – as referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a);

"urban renewal fund" – (deleted)

"Galilee" – as defined in the Galilee Development Authority Law, 5752-1992;

"Negev" – as defined in the Negev Development Authority Law, 5753-1993;

"estimated value of the affordable housing discount" – the result obtained by deducting an estimate of the price of the lands for affordable housing intended for marketing in a given year from an estimate of the marketing value of those lands for housing in a real property tender for dense residential construction, all as shall be determined by the Authority and the Ministry of Finance.

2d.§

(Repealed — תשפ״ב)

Allocation of rights in real property held unlawfully§

2e.

The Authority shall not allocate real property that is held unlawfully, except in special circumstances and pursuant to a decision of the director of the Authority and with the approval of the Attorney General.

Israel Lands Council§

3.

The Government shall appoint the Israel Lands Council, which shall determine the land policy according to which the Authority shall operate, shall supervise the operations of the Authority and shall approve the budget proposal of the Authority, which shall be determined by law.

Reporting§

4.

The director of the Authority shall submit to the Israel Lands Council a report on the operations of the Authority once every half-year; and the Government shall submit to the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee of the Knesset at least once a year a report on the operations of the Authority.

Composition of the Council§

4a.
(a)The Minister, who shall be the chairperson, shall serve on the Council, as well as 13 additional members appointed by the Government, of whom seven are Government representatives and six are JNF representatives, as set out below:
(1)a representative of the Prime Minister, from among the employees of the Prime Minister's Office;
(2)the Deputy Director-General for Budgets in the Ministry of Finance;
(3)a representative of the Minister of the Interior, from among the employees of his Ministry;
(4)a representative of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, from among the employees of his Ministry;
(5)a representative of the Minister, from among the employees of his Ministry;
(6)a representative of the Minister of Justice, from among the employees of his Ministry;
(7)a representative of the Minister for Environmental Protection, from among the employees of his Ministry;
(8)six JNF representatives from among the members of the JNF board of directors or from among the employees of the JNF.
(a1)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the Government may direct, by Order, that the number of JNF representatives on the Council be reduced to two; if the Government so directed, only ten members shall serve on the Council.
(a1a)If no member from among the Arab, Druze or Circassian population is serving on the Council as a Government representative as referred to in paragraphs (1) to (7) of subsection (a), the Government shall appoint to the Council a member, in addition to the Government representatives referred to in that subsection, who is a representative of the Minister for Social Equality, from among the employees of his Ministry who belong to the Arab, Druze or Circassian population.
(a2)
(1)The Minister for Environmental Protection, together with the Minister, shall appoint an observer to the Council from a list of candidates submitted by public bodies whose interest is in the preservation of environmental quality; for this purpose, "public bodies whose interest is in the preservation of environmental quality" – the bodies listed in Part 1 of the Schedule to the Representation of Public Bodies Concerned with Environmental Quality (Legislative Amendments) Law, 5763-2002;
(2)an observer appointed under paragraph (1) may participate in all meetings of the Council, as well as in two of the committees operating in accordance with the provisions of section 4j, at his choice; an invitation to meetings of the Council and to the said committees shall also be given to the observer.
(a3)The Government representatives on the Council shall be subject to Government policy as expressed in its decisions.
(a4)If a vote was held at a meeting of the Council and the opinions were equally divided, the chairperson shall have an additional vote on that matter.
(a5)The Government may appoint a substitute for a member of the Council, in the manner in which it appoints a member of the Council, provided that a person who could not be appointed as a member of the Council may not be appointed as a substitute.
(b)Particulars regarding the qualifications of candidates, including their curricula vitae, education, past and present occupations, experience and any other detail that is material and relevant to the matter, shall be submitted to the Government.
(c)The Minister, with the approval of the Council, shall appoint a deputy chairperson to the Council from among its members.
(d)Notice of the appointment of members of the Council shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Term of office§

4b.
(a)The term of office of a member of the Council is four years.
(b)A member of the Council whose term of office has ended may be reappointed for additional terms of office, provided that he shall not serve for more than three consecutive terms of office.

Disqualifications from appointment§

4c.

A person shall not be appointed as a member of the Council if any of the following applies to him:

(1)he is not an Israeli citizen;
(2)within the seven years preceding his appointment he was convicted of an offence that, in the opinion of the Attorney General, involves moral turpitude;
(3)an indictment is pending against him for an offence as referred to in paragraph (2);
(4)he is a bankrupt or a debtor who has been declared by the head of the Execution Office to be a debtor of limited means;
(5)he is a director or controlling shareholder, directly or indirectly, of a body that is in the course of involuntary winding-up proceedings;
(6)he has a personal or political affiliation with a Minister of the Government; however, a person with such an affiliation may be appointed as a member of the Council if a committee appointed by the Government for that purpose found that he has special qualifications in the areas of competence of the Council or that there are considerations of other special fitness for service in his regard; for this purpose, "person with a personal affiliation" – a spouse, sibling, parent, descendant, descendant of a spouse, or the spouse of any of these.

Vacation of office§

4d.
(a)A member of the Council shall cease to serve on it before the end of his term of office in any of the following:
(1)he resigned from membership of the Council by delivering a letter of resignation to the chairperson of the Council; his resignation shall take effect upon the expiry of 48 hours from the time of delivery of the letter of resignation;
(2)he was convicted by a final judgment of an offence that, in the opinion of the Attorney General, involves moral turpitude;
(3)he was declared bankrupt, or was declared by the head of the Execution Office to be a debtor of limited means;
(4)a body of which he is a director or in which he is a controlling shareholder, directly or indirectly, is in the course of involuntary winding-up proceedings;
(5)he has been permanently unable to perform his functions and the Government has cancelled his appointment;
(6)he was absent from three consecutive meetings of the Council or from five meetings within one year, and the chairperson of the Council determined in a notice to the Council, after clarification with the absent member, that there was no justified reason for the absence;
(7)he has ceased to be an Israeli citizen;
(8)if he is a member of the Council as a State employee, or as a member of the JNF board of directors, or as an employee of the JNF, he has retired from State service or from the JNF, or has ceased to be a member of the JNF board of directors.
(b)A member of the Council who has ceased to perform the same function that he performed at the time of his appointment as a member of the Council, or whose circumstances by virtue of which he was selected for his position have materially changed, may be replaced by another person by the Government, upon the proposal of the Ministers or upon the proposal of the JNF, as the case may be.
(c)If a criminal charge has been filed against a member of the Council for an offence that, in the opinion of the Attorney General, involves moral turpitude – the chairperson of the Council shall suspend him from his office; the period of suspension shall end no later than the date of the verdict in a final judgment.

Appointment of substitute§

4e.
(a)If a member of the Council has died, or has ceased to serve pursuant to section 4d, the Government shall appoint another person, in the manner in which that member was appointed under section 4a.
(b)If a member of the Council has been temporarily unable to perform his functions, including a person who has been suspended pursuant to section 4d(c), the Government may appoint a substitute for him, in the manner in which that member was appointed under section 4a, until he returns to his functions.

Special provision regarding the end of term of office and the appointment of a substitute for a member of the Council from among the Arab, Druze or Circassian population§

4e1.

The provisions of sections 4b(b) and 4e(a) shall apply to a member of the Council who was appointed pursuant to the provisions of section 4a(a1a), with the following modifications:

(1)upon the expiry of the term of office of a member of the Council under section 4b(a), he may be reappointed for additional terms of office pursuant to the provisions of section 4b(b), only upon the expiry of 45 days from the end of his term of office;
(2)if a member of the Council has ceased to serve pursuant to section 4d, or if a member of the Council has died, the Government shall appoint another person pursuant to the provisions of section 4e(a), only upon the expiry of 45 days from the date of cessation of service or death as aforesaid;

and all provided that upon the expiry of the period of 45 days referred to in paragraphs (1) or (2), as the case may be, no member from among the Arab, Druze or Circassian population is serving on the Council as a Government representative as referred to in paragraphs (1) to (7) of section 4a(a).

Prohibition of transactions with the Authority§

4f.
(a)A member of the Council, or a corporation in which he is an interested party, shall not enter into a transaction with the Authority and shall not represent a person who has entered into a transaction with the Authority, in a transaction or types of transactions, except for a transaction that is not of a commercial nature, unless the Council has permitted the type of transactions or the audit sub-committee of the Council has permitted the specific transaction, for reasons that shall be recorded.
(b)In this section and in section 4g, "interested party" – as defined in the Securities Law, 5728-1968.

Duty to disclose affiliation in a transaction§

4g.

Without derogating from the provisions of section 4f, a member of the Council participating in a meeting of the Council that discusses a matter in which he or a corporation in which he is an interested party has, or may have, directly or indirectly, a personal interest, shall notify the Council thereof before the commencement of the discussion and shall not participate in the discussion and vote on that matter.

Rules of procedure§

4h.
(a)The Council shall determine its working procedures and deliberation procedures to the extent that they have not been prescribed under this Law.
(b)The chairperson of the Council shall convene its meetings and shall determine their dates, locations and agendas, subject to the provisions of this Law.
(c)One-third of the members of the Council, including the chairperson or his deputy, shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the Council and at the time of its decision-making, provided that the majority of those present are not interested parties in land policy.
(d)Decisions of the Council shall be adopted by a majority of votes in a vote.
(e)At the request of the Minister or of one-third of the members of the Council, the Council shall reconsider any matter on which it has decided; however, a reconsideration pursuant to the request of the Minister shall not take place before at least one month has elapsed from the date of the adoption of the decision.

Meetings of the Council§

4i.
(a)Meetings of the Council shall be held on a regular basis at least once every three months and not fewer than six meetings per year; the Minister may convene extraordinary meetings at his discretion, provided that notice of the convening of the Council is given to the members of the Council at least 3 days in advance, unless it is required to convene within a shorter time due to the urgency of the matter.
(b)The Minister shall convene an extraordinary meeting if at least one-third of the members of the Council have so requested; if convening of the Council is required pursuant to this subsection, the Council shall convene for a meeting within a period not exceeding 14 days from the date of the request, unless it is required to convene within a shorter time due to the urgency of the matter; at a meeting convened pursuant to this subsection, the Council shall discuss only the matters specified in the request.

Committees§

4j.
(a)The Council shall elect from among its members the following standing committees: a committee for urban land matters, a committee for agricultural land matters, a budget committee and an audit committee, and it may also appoint additional committees, whether standing or for a specific matter.
(b)The decisions of a committee shall be in the nature of recommendations to the Council, unless the Council has decided to delegate its powers to the committee.
(c)The chairperson of a committee shall not be an interested party in the land policy within the area of activity of that committee, and committee members who are interested parties as aforesaid shall not constitute more than one-third of its membership.
(d)A committee shall determine its working procedures to the extent that they have not been prescribed under this Law.

Deputy Chairperson of the Council§

4k.

The deputy chairperson of the Council shall perform the functions of the chairperson of the Council upon the occurrence of one of the following:

(1)the chairperson of the Council is absent or is prevented from performing his functions;
(2)the deputy chairperson has been requested to do so in writing by the chairperson of the Council.

Discussion of the State Comptroller's Report§

4l.

The Council shall discuss, once a year, the chapters concerning the Authority in the State Comptroller's report and shall give its mind to the Comptroller's recommendations.

Publication of Decisions§

4m.
(a)A decision of the Council or of a committee of its committees shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette) and on the Authority's website; however, the entry into force of the decision shall not be conditional upon its publication, unless otherwise provided in the decision.
(b)A decision of the Authority's management (in this section – a management decision) shall be published on the Authority's website, subject to the following provisions:
(1)a management decision that includes information to which the provisions of section 9(a) of the Freedom of Information Law, 5758-1998 (in this section – the Freedom of Information Law) apply, or information that includes particulars whose disclosure may harm a third party, shall not be published;
(2)the Authority may refrain from publishing a management decision that includes information to which the provisions of section 9(b) of the Freedom of Information Law apply;

the provisions of section 11 of the Freedom of Information Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to the publication of information as referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2).

(c)Nothing in the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) shall derogate from the right of a person requesting information under the Freedom of Information Law.
(d)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), the entry into force of a management decision shall not be conditional upon its publication, unless otherwise provided in the decision.

Validity of Actions§

4n.

The existence of the Council, its powers and the validity of its decisions shall not be affected by reason of a vacancy in the place of a member of the Council or by reason of a defect in his appointment or in the continuation of his tenure.

Database§

4o.
(a)The Authority shall maintain a database that shall be open to public inspection and that shall include particulars of contractual engagements of the Authority in respect of real property under its management that is not registered in the Land Registers (hereinafter – the database).
(b)The database shall include the following particulars:
(1)rights in respect of the real property;
(2)undertakings of the Authority to register a mortgage in respect of the real property at the time of its registration in the Land Registers;
(3)notices served on the Authority in respect of a pledge registered by law in respect of that real property;
(4)notices served on the Authority in respect of judgments, decisions and orders given by a court or by another authority competent to do so under law and relating to rights in respect of the real property.
(b1)Nothing in the information in the database shall constitute an authoritative confirmation attesting to the state of rights in respect of Israel Lands.
(c)
(1)The Minister, in consultation with the Minister of Justice, may prescribe provisions for the implementation of this section, including –
(a)provisions regarding the manner of presenting the information in the database;
(b)the conditions for the provision of information from the database;
(c)a specification of the rights in respect of the real property to be included in the database;
(d)that real property in respect of which various contractual engagements have been entered into shall be included in the database gradually, at different times to be prescribed;
(2)(Repealed)
(3)Regulations under paragraphs (1)(c) and (d) shall require the approval of the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee of the Knesset.

Fees§

4p.

The Ministers may prescribe fees for the purposes of this Law, including for any matter connected with the provision of information or with any action connected with the execution of a transaction or with preparation for the execution of a transaction, and they may also prescribe upon whom the obligation to pay a fee under this section is imposed.

Conveyance of Ownership in a Real Property Asset§

4q.
(a)In this section and in sections 4r to 4u –

"dense building" – a building constructed on Israel Lands, of at least two storeys, containing not fewer than four apartments – at least one apartment on each storey;

"apartment", "long-term lease", "registration office", "Condominium Register", "registration", "Registrar", "transaction deed" – as defined in the Land Law;

"conveyance of ownership" – the conveyance of ownership in a real property asset, for consideration or without consideration, from the owner to the lessee of that real property asset;

"capitalised long-term lease contract" – a long-term lease contract under which the lease fees, for the remainder of the lease period, were paid in advance in accordance with its provisions or in accordance with a decision of the Council, or a long-term lease contract under which the lease fees may be paid in advance in accordance with a decision of the Council;

"capitalised long-term lease contract for residential or employment purposes" – excluding one of the following:

(1)a long-term lease contract in respect of land whose designated use is agricultural;
(2)a capitalised long-term lease contract under which the lessee is a public body; in this paragraph, "public body" – a government company, a government subsidiary company or a mixed company, as defined in the Government Companies Law, 5735-1975, a company that has no share capital or a corporation as referred to in section 60 of that Law, a corporation established by or under law, a local authority, or a corporation in which a local authority holds part of the capital or in which it has part of the voting power;

"lessee" – a person who is registered or entitled to be registered in the Land Registers, including in the Condominium Register, as a lessee of a real property asset under a capitalised long-term lease contract for residential or employment purposes, excluding –

(1)a sub-lessee;
(2)a lessee who has breached the long-term lease contract with the Authority and has not remedied the breach;
(3)a lessee of a real property asset that has been built unlawfully or without the Authority's consent;

"Land Law" – the Land Law, 5729-1969;

"Planning and Building Law" – the Planning and Building Law, 5725-1965;

"real property asset" – real property from Israel Lands that constitutes urban land, as defined in the Israel Lands Law, 5720-1960;

"real property asset in respect of which the conveyance of ownership is exempt from payment" – a real property asset in respect of which the Council has decided, having regard, inter alia, to its type, location and area, that the Authority is to offer the conveyance of ownership therein without consideration, including an apartment in a dense building;

"real property asset in respect of which the conveyance of ownership is subject to payment" – a real property asset in respect of which the Council has decided, having regard, inter alia, to its type, location and area, that the Authority is to offer the conveyance of ownership therein for consideration, as detailed in that decision;

"general valuation" – an estimate of the value of rights in real property assets prepared by the Chief Government Appraiser or a real property appraiser on his behalf, by way of drawing up a valuation table as defined in the Third Schedule to the Planning and Building Law;

"individual valuation" – an estimate of the value of rights in a specific real property asset, prepared by the Chief Government Appraiser or a real property appraiser on his behalf;

"employment" – as defined in the Israel Lands Law, 5720-1960;

"compulsory payments" – taxes, fees, levies, rates or other compulsory payments due to the State, a local authority, or a planning institution as defined in the Planning and Building Law.

(b)The Authority shall send to each lessee of a real property asset in respect of which the conveyance of ownership is exempt from payment, a notice, by registered mail, of its intention to convey ownership in the asset to him without consideration (in this section – a notice to the lessee exempt from payment), and the following provisions shall apply in this regard:
(1)if the lessee has agreed in writing to the conveyance of ownership on the basis of the notice to the lessee exempt from payment (in this section – a letter of consent), or has not notified the Authority, within 60 days from the date of dispatch of that notice, of his objection to the conveyance as aforesaid, and his right in the asset is registered in the Land Registers in respect of all the real property or of an undivided share thereof, the Authority shall submit to the registration office a request, signed by a representative of the Authority, for the registration of ownership in the name of the lessee on the basis of the notice to the lessee exempt from payment (in this section – a registration request); if the lessee's right in the asset is registered in a specific part of the real property, or is not registered at all, the registration request shall be submitted at the time when it becomes possible to register the ownership right arising from that long-term lease, provided that the Authority shall be entitled to submit a request to register the ownership right as aforesaid under any law;
(2)where the Authority has submitted to the registration office a registration request under the provisions of paragraph (1), the following provisions shall apply:
(a)the Registrar shall register in the Land Registers the ownership of the asset in the name of the lessee, provided that the registration request includes a confirmation from the Authority stating that a notice to the lessee exempt from payment was sent, and that the lessee consented to the conveyance of ownership or did not notify the Authority of his objection to the conveyance as aforesaid within the period referred to in paragraph (1);
(b)no additional documents or confirmations beyond the confirmation referred to in sub-paragraph (a) shall be required as a condition for the registration of ownership in the name of the lessee, including a transaction deed, a power of attorney from the lessee, and any document or confirmation constituting proof that the compulsory payments have been paid, except in respect of the compulsory payments that would have been required for the purpose of registering the long-term lease of the asset, to the extent that the long-term lease was not registered.
(b1)The Authority shall send to each lessee of a real property asset in respect of which the conveyance of ownership is subject to payment, a notice, by registered mail, of the Authority's intention to convey ownership in the asset to him subject to payment as detailed therein, which includes the consideration for the conveyance of ownership as well as payment of purchase tax as defined in section 9 of the Real Estate Taxation Law (Appreciation and Purchase), 5723-1963, at the rate prescribed in or under that section, in respect of that consideration (in this subsection – a notice to the lessee liable for payment), and the following provisions shall apply:
(1)if the lessee's right in the asset is registered in the Land Registers, except where it is a long-term lease right in a specific part of the real property, a transaction deed signed by the Authority shall be attached to the notice to the lessee liable for payment, for the registration of ownership of the asset in the name of the lessee, subject to the execution of the full payment as detailed in the notice to the lessee; if the lessee's right in the asset is not registered in the Land Registers, or is registered as a long-term lease right in a specific part of the real property, the Authority shall send the lessee the transaction deed signed by the Authority at the time when it becomes possible to register the ownership right arising from that long-term lease, provided that the Authority shall be entitled to sign the transaction deed for the purpose of registering the ownership right as aforesaid under any law;
(2)where the lessee has submitted to the registration office the transaction deed for the transfer of ownership of the asset into his name, as referred to in paragraph (1), the following provisions shall apply:
(a)the Registrar shall register in the Land Registers the ownership of the asset in the name of the lessee, provided that the transaction deed, also signed by the lessee, has been attached to the request, together with proof that the payment was made to the Authority in due time, as detailed in the notice to the lessee;
(b)the provisions under the Land Law shall apply to the registration of ownership as referred to in sub-paragraph (a); however, no power of attorney from the Authority, and no document or confirmation constituting proof that the compulsory payments have been paid, shall be required as a condition for the registration of ownership in the name of the lessee, except in respect of the compulsory payments that would have been required for the purpose of registering the long-term lease of the asset, to the extent that the long-term lease was not registered.
(b2)The Council shall prescribe conditions under which a long-term lease contract for residential or employment purposes shall become a capitalised long-term lease contract.
(c)(Repealed)
(d)A notice to a lessee or payment thereunder, a letter of consent, and the registration of ownership in the name of a lessee under the provisions of this section, shall not be regarded –
(1)for the purposes of the Real Estate Taxation Law (Appreciation and Purchase), 5723-1963, in respect of a real property asset in which the conveyance of ownership to the lessee is exempt from payment – as a sale of a right in real property;
(2)for the purposes of the Third Schedule to the Planning and Building Law – as the exercise of rights in real property.
(e)Subject to the provisions of subsections (b)(2)(b) and (b1)(2)(b), a provision of any law prohibiting the registration of rights in the registers as long as the compulsory payments have not been paid in full shall not apply to the registration of ownership of a real property asset in the name of a lessee under this section; however, no future transfer of rights in a real property asset that is conditional under law on proof of compulsory payments shall be registered in the registers from a person who was a lessee and was registered as an owner under the provisions of this section, unless proof is given of the payment of the compulsory payments that would have been required at the time of the registration of the ownership right in his name but for the provisions of this subsection.
(f)If a lessee has granted, in respect of his right in a real property asset, any right to another person, or his right as aforesaid has been attached or an order has been issued in respect thereof by a court or another authority, under law, and thereafter ownership in that real property asset has been conveyed to the lessee under this section, the right of the other person, the right of the attaching party or the order, as the case may be, shall be regarded as a right or order applying in respect of the ownership received by the lessee under the provisions of this section; the Authority shall bring to the lessee's attention, in a notice to the lessee, the content of the provisions of this subsection.
(g)The provisions of this section are in addition to the provisions of any other law; however, in the event of a conflict, the provisions of this section shall prevail.
(h)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g) –
(1)the provisions of this section shall apply subject to the provisions of the Israel Lands Law, 5720-1960;
(2)nothing in the provisions of this section shall prevent the Authority or a lessee from registering ownership of a real property asset in the name of the lessee, on the basis of a transaction deed, in accordance with the provisions under the Land Law.
(i)If the Council has determined that the consideration, in respect of a real property asset in which the conveyance of ownership to the lessee is subject to payment, shall be determined by individual valuation only, without the possibility of payment by general valuation, the Authority shall offer the lessee the conveyance of ownership in the asset, and the registration of ownership shall be in accordance with the provisions under the Land Law, and the provisions of this section shall not apply.

Exemption from Compulsory Payments for the Transfer of Land between the State, the Development Authority and the JNF§

4r.

The transfer of ownership in Israel Lands between the State, the Development Authority and the JNF among themselves shall be exempt from any compulsory payment, unless the Government has decided to reduce the number of JNF representatives on the Council as referred to in section 4a(a1).

Protection of Israel Lands§

4s.
(a)The Authority may, inter alia by reason of the special importance of Israel Lands, make the conveyance of ownership in a real property asset under the provisions of section 4q or 4t conditional upon terms and restrictions, including with regard to the conveyance of rights therein in the future or with regard to an undertaking to make such a conveyance, from the lessee or from another person who holds rights in that real property asset, provided that no types of terms or restrictions shall be prescribed that did not apply to the real property asset or to the transfer of rights therein at the time of the dispatch of the notice to the lessee as referred to in section 4q(b) or (b1), or at the time of the execution of the agreement for the conveyance of ownership, as the case may be.
(b)Where the Authority has prescribed a term or restriction as referred to in subsection (a) or (c), as the case may be, it shall note this in the registration request or in the transaction deed, as the case may be, and the Registrar shall register a notation to that effect in the Land Registers; where a notation has been so registered, and as long as it has not been deleted, no transaction that contradicts the content of the notation shall be registered in the registers.
(c)Without derogating from the provisions of subsection (a), the Israel Lands Authority shall make the conveyance of ownership in a real property asset under the provisions of section 4q conditional upon terms and restrictions under the provisions of section 2a of the Israel Lands Law, 5720-1960.

Restriction on Conveyance of Ownership in a Small Community Settlement and in an Agricultural Settlement§

4t.

The Council may decide, in accordance with rules that it shall prescribe, that the conveyance of ownership by the Authority in a real property asset in a cooperative society that is a small community settlement or an agricultural settlement shall be made conditional upon the consent of the cooperative society, the Jewish Agency for the Land of Israel or the World Zionist Organisation, as the case may be; where the Council has so decided, the Authority shall not convey ownership in a real property asset in the cooperative society except after such consent has been given to it in writing; in this section –

"agricultural settlement" – a cooperative society classified by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, under the Cooperative Societies Ordinance, as a workers' moshav, a cooperative village, a kibbutz, a cooperative moshav, a cooperative society for community settlement or a rural community settlement, including a residential expansion of the settlement;

"small community settlement" – a cooperative society classified by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, under the Cooperative Societies Ordinance, as a cooperative society for community settlement or a rural community settlement, where the number of household units in the settlement does not exceed 500 or another number prescribed by the Council;

"Registrar of Cooperative Societies" – as defined in the Cooperative Societies Ordinance.

Restriction on Conveyance of Ownership by Reason of the Area of a Real Property Asset§

4u.

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 4q and 4t, the Authority shall not convey ownership in a real property asset whose area exceeds 16 dunams, unless the Council has decided that circumstances exist by reason of which ownership may be conveyed as aforesaid.

Fund for the Preservation of Open Spaces§

4v.
(a)There is hereby established a fund for the preservation of open spaces within the framework of the Authority (in this Law – the Fund).
(b)The purposes of the Fund are to assist in financing the preservation, environmental development and maintenance of open spaces outside built-up urban areas, including open spaces that are of importance for the preservation of biological diversity and ecological systems in Israel, parks and recreation and leisure areas, as well as to assist bodies acting to realise the purposes of the Fund.
(c)The Fund shall act to fulfil its purposes in accordance with a multi-year plan to be approved by the Government.
(d)The funds of the Fund shall come from an appropriation at the rate of 1%, in each year, from the total revenues of the Authority in that year, as well as from donations and other sources; the funds shall be designated for the purposes of the Fund only, and their use shall be made in accordance with the instructions of the Minister with the consent of the Minister of Finance.
(e)The Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Finance and the Minister for Environmental Protection, shall prescribe the rules for operating the Fund and its functions.
(f)The Minister shall report to the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee of the Knesset, at the end of each budget year, on the activities of the Fund, its revenues and its expenditures.

Allocation of Land to a Local Authority for a Renewable Energy Electricity Generation Facility§

4w.
(a)In this Section –

"peripherality index" – a characterisation and ranking of local authorities according to their geographical location in relation to population concentrations in Israel, as published by the Central Bureau of Statistics;

"project" – a facility for the generation of electricity that converts solar energy into electrical energy for the electricity grid for the purpose of supplying electricity to the assets of the local authority or selling electricity to the national electricity grid, including the infrastructure ancillary to such a facility and an energy storage facility;

"local authority" – a municipality or a local council;

"plan" – a plan as defined in the Planning and Building Law, 5725-1965, from which a building permit may be issued without the need for the approval of an additional plan.

(b)A local authority that is ranked 1 to 5 on the peripherality index and that has received a general equalisation grant from the Ministry of the Interior in each of the three years preceding the financial year in which the application was submitted, may request the Israel Lands Authority, pursuant to a decision of the council of that local authority, to allocate to it land within its area for the purpose of establishing and operating a project (in this Section – an application).
(c)
(1)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), an eligible local authority that has no available land for a project within its area may request, together with an adjacent local authority, pursuant to a decision of the council of the adjacent local authority and the council of the eligible local authority, that land within the area of the adjacent local authority be allocated to the adjacent local authority for the purpose of establishing and operating a project by the adjacent local authority;
(2)Where land has been allocated pursuant to this subsection, the provisions of this Section shall apply to the adjacent local authority with the necessary modifications, provided that 80% of its profits derived from the project shall be transferred to the eligible local authority;
(3)In this subsection –

"available land for a project" – contiguous land of at least 75 dunams, suitable for the establishment and operation of a project in accordance with the plan applicable to it;

"eligible local authority" – a local authority that meets the conditions set out in subsection (b);

"adjacent local authority" – a local authority that is adjacent to an eligible local authority and is not itself an eligible local authority.

(d)The Authority shall allocate to a local authority that has submitted an application land for the establishment and operation of a project, where all of the following conditions are met:
(1)the establishment and operation of the project in the requested area are consistent with the plan applicable to that area;
(2)the local authority holds an approval under the Electricity Sector Law, 5756-1996, to the effect that the project may be connected to the electricity grid at the times requested by the local authority;
(3)the application is accompanied by a written opinion from the local authority's engineer, stating that the local authority has taken reasonable measures to realise the placement potential of facilities as referred to in the definition of "project" on rooftops of public buildings in its ownership and possession, and that it has a plan for the continued realisation of that potential in the coming years.
(e)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (d), the Authority, after approval by the Council or a sub-committee established by the Council for this purpose, may refrain from allocating land under this Section, for special reasons to be recorded in its decision, provided that the land is required for an essential purpose other than the establishment of a project; for this purpose, the revenues of the Authority shall not be considered special reasons.
(f)Notwithstanding the provisions of section 2 of the Mandatory Tenders Law, 5752-1992, the allocation of land by the Authority under this Section does not require a tender, and the provisions of this Section shall be deemed to be provisions concerning exemption from a tender established under that Law.
(g)The payment for the allocation of land as referred to in this Section shall be in accordance with the decisions of the Council with respect to the allocation of land for the generation and storage of electricity from renewable energy in agricultural settlements.
(h)The Council shall establish rules with respect to the duration of the project and with respect to the extent of land that may be allocated in accordance with the size of the local authority.
(i)
(1)Where land has been allocated to a local authority under this Section, the local authority shall establish and operate the project through a developer with experience in this field, as the council of the local authority shall decide, including by leasing the land to the developer, by joint performance with the developer, or in another manner;
(2)The engagement with the developer shall be made by means of a public tender, and the provisions of law applicable to engagements by a local authority by way of tender shall apply in this regard; payment to the local authority within the framework of the engagement shall not be made conditional on the profits of the project or on income therefrom;
(3)Where the approval of the Minister of the Interior or a person authorised by the Minister for this purpose is required under the provisions of section 188 of the Municipalities Ordinance for the purpose of an engagement or the performance of an act under this Section, the Minister of the Interior or a person authorised by the Minister for this purpose shall deliver their decision as to whether to approve the engagement or act, or not to approve it, within six months from the date on which their approval was requested; if the decision of the Minister of the Interior or a person authorised by the Minister for this purpose has not been delivered within the said period, the approval shall be deemed to have been granted.
(j)Within 14 days from the date of the decision of the local authority under subsection (i) or the allocation of land under subsection (d), whichever is later, the local authority shall publish on its website details of a project it is establishing under this Section, including details of the extent of the land allocated to the project, the area of the facilities to be established, the operator of the project, particulars of the engagements with the developer for the purpose of establishing and operating the project, and the period of the engagement.
(k)Upon the expiry of the period of the project, or if the project ceases to serve for the generation of electricity or the designation of the land is changed, the local authority shall cease to make use of the land and shall vacate the entire area allocated to it of the project's facilities, and the land shall revert to the Authority free and clear.
(l)The Director of the Authority shall submit to the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee of the Knesset, once a year, a report on the implementation of the provisions of this Section, including the number of applications submitted and the lands allocated thereunder.

Amendment of the State Assets Law, 5711-1951§

5.

In the State Assets Law, 5711-1951 –

(1)in section 5, in place of subsection (b), the following subsection shall come:

"(b) The Government shall not be entitled to sell Israel Lands, within their meaning in Basic Law: Israel Lands, that are not urban land and whose area exceeds 100 dunams, to transfer ownership thereof in another manner, to lease or to let them on long-term lease, except with the approval of the Israel Lands Council.";

(2)in section 6, in subsection (a), the following paragraph shall be added:

"(4) the Director of the Israel Lands Administration or a person authorised by the Director – with respect to Israel Lands within their meaning in Basic Law: Israel Lands.";

(3)in section 6, in subsection (c), after the words "of another Minister" the words "or the Director of the Israel Lands Administration" shall come.

Amendment of the Development Authority (Transfer of Assets) Law, 5710-1950§

6.

In the Development Authority (Transfer of Assets) Law, 5710-1950 –

(1)in section 3, in the preamble, in place of "the Development Authority is empowered" there shall come "subject to Basic Law: Israel Lands and to the Israel Lands Law, 5720-1960, the Development Authority is empowered";
(2)in section 3, in paragraph (4), in place of sub-paragraphs (a) to (d), the following words shall come:

"the Development Authority shall not be entitled to sell Israel Lands, within their meaning in Basic Law: Israel Lands, that are not urban land and whose area exceeds 100 dunams, to transfer ownership thereof in another manner, to lease or to let them on long-term lease, except with the approval of the Israel Lands Council;";

(3)in section 3, after paragraph (10), the following closing words shall be added:

"any act in relation to Israel Lands under this section shall be performed by the Israel Lands Administration";

(4)section 4 – (Repealed);
(5)in section 5, the passage from the words "the Development Authority shall not incur any expenditure" to the end of the section shall be deleted.

Implementation and Regulations§

7.

The Ministers jointly are charged with the implementation of this Law and may make Regulations in all matters relating to its implementation, including with respect to rules for the work of the Council and its committees insofar as these have not been prescribed in this Law.

Transitional Provision§

8.
(a)In any act, agreement, engagement or transaction performed by the Israel Lands Administration, or to which the Israel Lands Administration was a party, including on behalf of the owners of Israel Lands, on the eve of the date of establishment of the Authority, the Authority shall replace the Israel Lands Administration.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), where it has been determined by a Government decision or under a law that another body shall replace the Israel Lands Administration with respect to a specific act, agreement, engagement or transaction, that body shall replace it as aforesaid.
(c)In this Section –

"Israel Lands Administration" – within its meaning in this Law, in its version on the eve of the date of establishment of the Authority;

"date of establishment of the Authority" – the 15th of Tevet 5770 (1 January 2010).

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 →

Read the entire law on one page — continuous text, no page breaks, plus PDF downloads.

LawReal Estate & Land

חוק רשות מקרקעי ישראל, תש"ך-1960

ILA law

Israel Lands Authority

lands authority law

reshut mikrekaei yisrael

public lands israel

state lands law

ILA 1960

land authority

Israeli public lands

government lands law