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Law for the Commemoration of the Memory of Menachem Begin, 5758-1998

חוק להנצחת זכרו של מנחם בגין, תשנ"ח-1998

Published: 1998-04-01Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-08-30 · Last amended 2025-04-02✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-29
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

This English text was translated from the official Hebrew using a range of translation tools, and it undergoes ongoing checks and updates. It is not a certified translation.

Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Chapter I: Purpose of the Law

Purpose of the Law§

1.

The purpose of this Law is to establish a centre that shall commemorate for generations the work and legacy of Menachem Begin.

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Chapter II: Interpretation

definitions§

2.

In this Law –

"the Centre" – the Menachem Begin Centre for the Study of the Zionist Struggle for Israel's Independence;

"the Archive" – the Archive of the Centre;

"the Site" – the commemoration site in memory of Menachem Begin;

"the Archivist", "archival material", "State institution" – as defined in the Archives Law, 5715-1955;

"the Museum" – the Menachem Begin Museum within the meaning of section 22;

"the Institute" – the Menachem Begin Research Institute;

"recognised institution" – as defined in the Council for Higher Education Law, 5718-1958;

"the Minister" – the Prime Minister or a Minister designated by the Prime Minister for the purposes of this Law.

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Chapter III: The Institutions

Establishment of Institutions§

3.

A centre for the commemoration of the memory of Menachem Begin and for the study of the Zionist struggle for Israel's independence shall be established; the Centre shall comprise the Site, the Institute, the Archive and the Museum.

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Section A: The Centre

Status of the Centre§
4.
(a)The Centre shall be a corporation.
(b)The Centre shall be an audited body within the meaning of section 9(2) of the State Comptroller Law, 5718-1958 [Consolidated Version].
The Council§
5.

The Centre shall have a council of twenty-nine members, to be appointed by the Minister, and its members shall be as follows:

(1)three representatives on the recommendation of the Prime Minister;
(2)one representative on the recommendation of the Minister of Defence, from among senior employees of the defence establishment;
(3)three representatives on the recommendation of the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, from among senior employees of the education system;
(4)the Archivist;
(5)five members of the academic staff of recognised institutions in the country, from the fields of the humanities, social sciences or law;
(6)two representatives of the local authority within whose area the Centre operates, one of whom shall be the head of the local authority;
(7)five representatives of the association "Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation";
(8)one representative of the Council for Commemoration Sites under the National Parks, Nature Reserves, National Sites and Commemoration Sites Law, 5752-1992;
(9)one representative of the Council for the Commemoration of the Memory of Those Who Have Held the Office of President of the State or Prime Minister, under the Commemoration of the Memory of Presidents of Israel and its Prime Ministers Law, 5746-1986;
(10)seven public representatives.
Chairperson of the Council§
6.

The Council shall appoint from among its members, with the approval of the Minister, the chairperson and the deputy chairperson.

Functions of the Council§
7.

The functions of the Council are –

(1)to determine the general policy of the Centre;
(2)to receive reports on the activities of the Centre from the Executive Committee;
(3)to approve the budget of the Centre.
Procedures of the Council§
8.
(a)The Council shall convene at least once a year.
(b)The chairperson of the Council shall conduct its meetings; the chairperson shall convene the meetings of the Council and shall determine their dates, venues and agendas.
(c)The Council shall determine its own procedures of work insofar as these have not been prescribed by Regulations.
The Executive Committee§
9.
(a)The Minister shall appoint from among the members of the Council an executive committee of nine members, provided that they are –
(1)the representative of the Prime Minister, from among those appointed under section 5(1);
(2)the representative of the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, from among those appointed under section 5(3);
(3)the Archivist;
(4)two representatives of the academic staff, from among those appointed under section 5(5);
(5)two representatives of the association, from among those appointed under section 5(7);
(6)one public representative from among those appointed under section 5(10);
(7)one representative of the local authority from among those appointed under section 5(6).
(b)The Executive Committee shall appoint from among its members, with the approval of the Minister, the chairperson and the deputy chairperson.
Functions of the Executive Committee§
10.

The functions of the Executive Committee are –

(1)to outline the lines of action of the Centre;
(2)to approve the budget of the Centre as prepared by the Head of the Centre and to bring it before the Council for approval;
(3)to supervise the implementation of the lines of action of the Centre and its programmes;
(4)to deliberate on the reports submitted to it by the internal auditor of the Centre and to determine conclusions.
Dissolution of the Executive Committee§
11.
(a)If the Minister is of the opinion that the Executive Committee is not fulfilling its functions properly, the Minister shall warn the Executive Committee by written notice sent to the chairperson of the Executive Committee, stating that if within the time the Minister shall set, the Executive Committee does not fulfil what is incumbent upon it as specified by the Minister in the Minister's demand, the Minister will dissolve the Executive Committee.
(b)If the Executive Committee has not fulfilled what is incumbent upon it as stated in subsection (a) within the period set by the Minister in the notice, the Minister may order the dissolution of the Executive Committee.
Constitution of a New Executive Committee§
12.

If the Executive Committee has resigned or the Minister has decided to dissolve it as stated in section 11, a new executive committee shall be appointed in the manner prescribed in section 9, within thirty days of the date of resignation or dissolution, as the case may be.

Expenses and Remuneration§
13.

A member of the Council and a member of the Executive Committee shall not receive remuneration from the Centre for their services, but a member of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to a fee for participation in meetings of the Executive Committee and also to reimbursement of expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties, at the rates to be determined by the Minister with the approval of the Minister of Finance.

Term of Office§
14.

A member of the Council shall be appointed for a period of three years, and may be reappointed for additional terms of office.

Vacation of Office§
15.

A member of the Council shall cease to serve before the end of their term of office in any of the following circumstances:

(1)they resigned by delivering a letter of resignation to the Minister;
(2)they were convicted of an offence which, in the opinion of the Attorney General, involves moral turpitude;
(3)they ceased to be an employee of the government ministry or body that they represent on the Council.
Removal from Office§
16.

The Minister may, after consulting with the chairperson of the Council or with the chairperson of the Executive Committee, as the case may be, remove a member of the Council or a member of the Executive Committee from office before the end of their term of office if they are permanently prevented from fulfilling their duties.

Validity of Actions§
17.

The existence of the Council or of the Executive Committee, their powers and the validity of their decisions shall not be affected by reason of a vacancy in the place of one of their members or by reason of a defect in the appointment or continuation in office of a member.

Head of the Centre§
18.
(a)The Council, with the approval of the Minister, shall appoint the Head of the Centre.
(b)The Head of the Centre shall be appointed for a period of three years, and may be reappointed, with the approval of the Minister, for additional terms of office.
Functions of the Head of the Centre§
19.

The functions of the Head of the Centre are –

(1)management of the Centre – the Site, including the Museum, as well as the Institute and the Archive;
(2)implementation of the decisions of the Executive Committee;
(3)preparation of the annual work plan and the annual budget and bringing them before the Executive Committee for approval;
(4)reporting to the Executive Committee on the activities of the Centre – the Site, including the Museum, as well as the Institute and the Archive.
Terms of Employment of the Head of the Centre and Vacation of Office§
20.
(a)The Executive Committee, with the approval of the Minister and in consultation with the Minister of Finance, shall determine the salary and terms of employment of the Head of the Centre.
(b)The Head of the Centre shall cease to serve before the end of their term of office in any of the following circumstances:
(1)they resigned by delivering a letter of resignation to the Minister and to the chairperson of the Council;
(2)the Council decided to terminate their tenure by a majority of at least two thirds of all its members;
(3)they were convicted or an indictment was filed against them in respect of an offence which, in the opinion of the Attorney General, involves moral turpitude.
Internal Auditor§
21.

An internal auditor shall be appointed for the Centre, who shall act in accordance with the provisions of the Internal Audit Law, 5752-1992; the internal auditor shall submit to the managing committee a report on his findings.

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Section B: The Site

Establishment of the Site and Its Contents§
22.

The Centre shall establish a commemoration site that shall include a permanent exhibition of exhibits evoking the memory of the life, work and legacy of Menachem Begin, including a museum in which his life history shall be presented against the backdrop of the period of the Holocaust in Europe, the struggle for the establishment of the State, the years of its formation and the central events in its history; the site shall be established in Jerusalem.

Activities for the Public§
23.

The commemoration site shall be open to the public, and commemoration activities, museum activities and education and information activities related to the work and legacy of Menachem Begin shall be held therein on a regular basis.

Educational Committee§
24.
(a)The managing committee, after consultation with the Head of the Centre, shall appoint an educational committee of seven members, which shall be composed of educators, persons from the defence establishment, past and present, a representative of the local authority within whose area the Centre operates, and other public representatives.
(b)The educational committee shall appoint from among its members the chairperson of the committee and the chairperson's deputy.
(c)The chairperson of the committee shall conduct the committee's meetings; the chairperson shall convene its meetings and shall determine their dates, venues and agendas.
Functions of the Educational Committee§
25.

The educational committee shall advise the Head of the Centre with regard to activities to be held at the site, including their types and content.

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Section C: The Institute

Establishment of the Institute and Its Purpose§
26.

The Centre shall maintain a research institute; the Institute shall act to deepen and enrich knowledge in all matters relating to the history, policy, society, culture, economy and security of the State of Israel, with emphasis on the vision, work and legacy of Menachem Begin.

Activity§
27.

The Institute shall hold academic activities to advance the purposes of this Law, including research groups, research seminars, public lectures and conferences with the participation of researchers.

Library§
28.

The Institute shall maintain and operate a research and reference library that shall specialise in the fields referred to in section 26.

Publications§
29.

The Institute shall publish research in the fields of its activity.

The Scientific Committee§
30.
(a)The managing committee, in consultation with the Head of the Centre, shall appoint a scientific committee composed of seven members who hold standing in the fields of research and teaching at recognised institutions in the country, and two representatives of the Israel National Academy of Sciences.
(b)The scientific committee shall appoint from among its members the chairperson of the committee and the chairperson's deputy.
(c)The chairperson of the committee shall conduct the committee's meetings; the chairperson shall convene its meetings and shall determine their dates, venues and agendas.
Functions of the Scientific Committee§
31.
(a)The scientific committee shall approve plans of action and proposals submitted to it by the Head of the Centre, including proposals for the employment of researchers and for the carrying out of research.
(b)The scientific committee shall advise the Head of the Institute on any matter relating to the academic activity of the Institute.
Termination of Office§
32.

The provisions of sections 15 and 16 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, also to members of the scientific committee.

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Section D: The Archive

Establishment of the Archive§
33.

The Centre shall establish an archive; the archive shall be part of the State Archives and the provisions of the Archives Law, 5715-1955, shall apply to it.

Management of Archival Material§
34.
(a)The management of archival material that directly relates to the personal work of Menachem Begin shall be vested in the archive.
(b)The Minister, after consultation with the Archivist and with the Head of the Centre, shall determine by Regulations the types of archival material held in the State Archives or in an institution of the State that shall be transferred to the archive.
(c)Archival material as referred to in subsection (b) shall be transferred to the archive, as an original or as a copy, in the manner directed by the Archivist.
Head of the Archive§
35.

The head of the archive shall be appointed by the Head of the Centre, with the approval of the Archivist, and shall receive professional instructions and guidance from the Archivist.

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Chapter III-A: Day for the Commemoration of the Memory of Menachem Begin

Day for the Commemoration of the Memory of Menachem Begin§

35a.
(a)Once a year, on the fourth of Adar, the day of the death of Menachem Begin, memorial events shall be held to commemorate his memory; on that day —
(1)in Israel Defence Forces camps, time shall be devoted to commemorating the memory and studying the work of Menachem Begin as the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces or a person authorised by him for this matter shall decide;
(2)in educational institutions, time shall be devoted to studying the work of Menachem Begin, to the extent that the Minister of Education shall so decide.
(b)Should the fourth of Adar fall on a holiday, day of rest or day of vacation, or on a memorial day or a national day of observance, or on the day preceding any of the aforementioned days, the day for the commemoration of the memory of Menachem Begin shall be observed on the first weekday following that day.

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Chapter IV: General Provisions

Conflict of Interests§

36.
(a)A member of the council, a member of the managing committee, a member of a committee or an employee of the Centre (in this section — a member) shall refrain from participating in a discussion and from voting at meetings, if the matter under discussion is liable to cause the member to be placed, directly or indirectly, in a situation of conflict of interests between the member's function and a personal interest of the member or another function of the member; a member shall not deal, within the framework of the member's function, with a matter liable to cause the member to be placed in such a situation also outside of meetings.
(b)Should it become apparent to a member that a matter being discussed at a meeting or being dealt with by the member is liable to cause the member to be placed in a situation of conflict of interests as referred to in subsection (a), the member shall notify the chairperson of the council, the chairperson of the committee or the Head of the Centre, as the case may be.
(c)For the purposes of this section, it is immaterial whether the discharge of the other function is for remuneration or without remuneration.
(d)In this section —

"personal interest" — including a personal interest of a relative of the member or an interest of a body that the member or a relative manages or in which they are responsible employees, or an interest of a body in which any of them holds a share of its share capital, a right to receive profits, a right to appoint a director or a voting right;

"relative" — a spouse, parent, child, brother or sister, or another person dependent on the member.

Real Property§

37.

The State shall make available to the Centre the real property required for its activities, as the Government or a Minister authorised by it for that purpose shall determine.

Financing§

38.

The establishment of the Centre shall be financed from donations; the activities of the Centre shall be financed, subject to the provisions of section 39, from the State budget to the extent required for its operational, maintenance, development and management expenses in all its activities, and from donations and revenues that the Centre may have.

Budget§

39.
(a)The council shall approve an annual budget proposal and shall submit it to the Minister of Finance for approval; the budget requires the approval of the Minister of Finance.
(b)The Centre's budget year shall be the same as the State's budget year.

Exemption from taxes§

39a.
(a)For the purposes of the Income Tax Ordinance [New Version], the Centre shall be regarded as a public institution under section 9(2) of that Ordinance, and for the purposes of the Property Tax and Compensation Fund Law, 5721-1961, the Centre shall be regarded as a public institution under section 39(6) of that Law, and all assets of the Centre shall be exempt from any fee, property tax or other compulsory payment payable to a local authority.
(b)An exemption from taxes under this section shall not apply to assets used for commercial purposes.

Employees§

40.

The terms of employment of the employees of the Centre shall be equivalent to those of State employees in parallel positions, with such modifications and adjustments as the Minister shall prescribe with the consent of the Minister of Finance and on the recommendation of the Council.

Prohibition on transfer of assets§

41.
(a)The Centre shall not be entitled to sell or transfer in any other manner an asset in its ownership, except for assets whose particulars, including their type and value, have been prescribed in Regulations, unless with the approval of the Minister.
(b)The Centre shall not be entitled to pledge an asset in its possession or to lease it for a period exceeding ten years, unless with the approval of the Minister; for this purpose, "to lease it for a period exceeding ten years" includes a lease that confers a right to renew it, to extend it, or a lease for an additional period which, together with the preceding lease periods, exceeds ten years in the aggregate.
(c)The Centre shall not take a loan exceeding an amount prescribed by the Minister in Regulations, unless with the approval of the Minister and the Minister of Finance.

Implementation§

42.

The Minister is charged with the implementation of this Law and may make Regulations in all matters relating to its implementation, including the rules of procedure of the Council and the Managing Committee.

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