Law for the Regulation of the Placement of Beehives, Pollination and Honey Production, 5785-2025
חוק להסדרה של הצבת כוורות, האבקה וייצור דבש, תשפ"ה-2025
Published: 2025-02-23Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-07-01 · Last amended 2025-02-23✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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Section B: Determination of Placement Points
Determination, Amendment or Cancellation of Placement Points§
21.
(a)The Permits Committee may determine placement points on public real property, and may also determine conditions in respect thereof, amend them or cancel them, having regard, inter alia, to the following considerations:
(1)prevention of excess demand for nectar in the area designated for the determination of the placement point, having regard to the characteristics of the vegetation in that area, including wild plants and agricultural crops, and to the number of populated beehives placed therein;
(2)prevention of significant disturbance to the public or of significant adverse environmental effects due to the placement of populated beehives in the area designated for the determination of the placement point;
(3)the effect of the placement of populated beehives on biological diversity in the area designated for the determination of the placement point;
(4)the proximity of the placement point designated to be determined to a security area.
(b)The Permits Committee shall not determine a new placement point and shall not approve the addition of more than five beehives at an existing placement point, except after consulting with an employee of the Ministry of Environmental Protection appointed by the Director General of the Ministry of Environmental Protection for this purpose; if the said employee has not transmitted a response to the Committee's written request within 60 days, the duty of consultation with that employee under this subsection shall be deemed to have been fulfilled.
(c)The Permits Committee shall not determine a new placement point on the real property detailed below, except where the condition set alongside each item is met:
(1)real property that is a national park or nature reserve, or real property situated in an area approved as a national park or nature reserve in a detailed plan under the Planning and Building Law — approval has been given by the director of the Nature and Parks Authority or by a person authorised by the director for this purpose;
(2)real property managed by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael within the meaning of the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Law, 5714-1953 — approval has been given by the director of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael or by a person authorised by the director for this purpose;
(3)real property of a local authority — approval has been given by the head of the local authority or by a person authorised by the head for this purpose;
(4)a security area or real property in respect of which the Minister of Defence, or a civil servant or soldier within the meaning of the Military Justice Law, 5715-1955, authorised by the Minister of Defence for this purpose, has notified the Permits Committee that there is concern that entry thereto may cause harm to state security — approval has been given by the representative of the Minister of Defence under section 7(a)(3) of the Planning and Building Law on the District Planning and Building Committee operating in the area of the district in which the area designated for the determination of the placement point is situated (in this Law — the representative of the Minister of Defence on the District Planning and Building Committee);
(5)real property held by the Israel Police or the Prison Service — approval has been given by the Minister for National Security or by a person authorised by the Minister for this purpose;
(6)public real property held by a holder — the holder has been given an opportunity to present arguments on the matter before the Permits Committee; if the holder has presented arguments before the Committee, the Committee shall deliver to the holder its reasoned decision regarding the determination of a placement point on the said real property;
(7)public real property that is not real property as referred to in paragraphs (1) to (6) — approval has been given by the director of the Israel Lands Authority or by a person authorised by the director for this purpose.
(d)If the Permits Committee has applied in writing to any of the parties listed in subsection (c) or to the holder, and that party has not transmitted a response to the Committee's request within 60 days, that party shall be regarded as having approved the determination of the placement point or as if the procedure under subsection (c)(6) has been fulfilled, as the case may be.
(e)Each of the parties listed in subsection (c), including the holder, may apply to the Permits Committee, by a reasoned written request, for the amendment or cancellation of a placement point; the Permits Committee shall not amend or cancel a placement point in respect of which there is a valid permit, unless it has notified the permit holder in writing, together with its reasons, at least 30 days before the adoption of the decision, and has given the permit holder an opportunity to present arguments; the Committee shall adopt a decision on the request within 120 days from the day on which it received the request, and shall send its decision to the permit holder and to the applicant for the amendment or cancellation.
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Contact Us →Section C: Permits for the Placement of Populated Beehives
Procedure for the Grant of Permits§
22.
The Permits Committee shall conduct a procedure for the grant of permits once every three years, and may conduct an additional procedure in such a period, in respect of a new placement point or in respect of a placement point that has become vacant; the Permits Committee shall publish on the Ministry's website a notice of the conduct of the procedure, which shall include the following particulars:
(1)the placement points in respect of which a permit will be granted, including, in respect of each placement point — its coordinates, the placement period therein and the number of populated beehives that may be placed therein; the provisions of section 29(b) shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to a publication as aforesaid in respect of a security area;
(2)the final date for the submission of a permit application, provided that the period between the date of publication and the final date for the submission of an application shall not be less than 30 days;
(3)additional information in accordance with Regulations under section 51(b)(2) and (3), if made;
(4)a clarification that the grant of a permit is subject to the approval of the parties listed in section 25(a), in accordance with the provisions of that section.
Application for a Permit§
23.
(a)A permit applicant shall submit to the Permits Committee an application for a permit, together with confirmation of payment of an application fee under section 51(b)(12), if prescribed, and shall indicate in the application whether the applicant is requesting a permit for a period shorter than three years.
(b)The chairperson of the Committee may require a permit applicant to furnish an additional document or information required by the Committee for the examination of the application.
Grant and Transfer of a Permit§
24.
(a)The Permits Committee may grant a permit to a permit applicant, including by making it subject to conditions, in accordance with the provisions under this Law; the Permits Committee shall determine in the permit, inter alia, the beekeeper number of the permit holder.
(b)The Committee shall grant permits on the basis of permits granted in previous years, having regard to the need to grant permits to new permit applicants and to the equitable allocation of new placement points and placement points that were included in a cancelled permit or in respect of which the permit holder did not apply for a new permit, and having regard to the need to prevent concentration, as far as possible, in the holding of permits.
(c)A permit is personal and may not be transferred except with the written approval of the Permits Committee.
Restrictions on the Grant of a Permit§
25.
(a)The Permits Committee shall not grant a permit at a placement point situated on real property as detailed below, except subject to the following conditions:
(1)a security area — unless approval has been given therefor by the representative of the Minister of Defence on the District Planning and Building Committee; if the Permits Committee has applied in writing to the said representative and the representative has not transmitted a response to the Committee's request within 60 days, the representative shall be regarded as having approved the grant of the permit;
(2)real property held by the Israel Police or the Prison Service — unless approval has been given therefor by the Minister for National Security or by a person authorised by the Minister for this purpose; if the Permits Committee has applied in writing to the said party and the party has not transmitted a response to the Committee's request within 60 days, the party shall be regarded as having approved the grant of the permit;
(3)public real property held by a holder — unless the permit applicant has attached the approval of the holder.
(b)The validity of an approval as referred to in subsection (a), in respect of that permit recipient, shall continue until further notice from the approving party to the Permits Committee, and in respect of an approving party that is a holder — including a holder who has replaced a previous holder; the giving of such notice shall not prejudice the validity of a permit, as long as the Permits Committee has not determined otherwise.
(c)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(3), the Permits Committee may grant a permit even without the approval of the holder, if it is satisfied that the holder is refraining from giving approval on grounds that are not relevant to the matter, that the holder is making the approval conditional on the receipt of consideration in money or money's worth from the permit applicant, or that the holder's interest does not outweigh the permit applicant's interest, having regard, inter alia, to the length of time during which the holder is entitled to make use of the real property; if the holder has objected to the grant of the permit to the applicant, the Permits Committee shall not grant the permit to the applicant except after consulting with the Israel Lands Authority and after giving the holder an opportunity to present arguments.
Refusal to Grant a Permit§
26.
(a)Without derogating from the generality of section 24(b), the Committee may refuse to grant a permit if any of the following applies:
(1)the applicant did not place beehives in accordance with the previous permit granted to the applicant, or placed populated beehives in a number significantly smaller than that which the applicant was permitted to place under such a permit;
(2)the applicant did not comply with the provisions under this Law regarding the placement of populated beehives, or with the conditions of a previous permit granted to the applicant, during the five years preceding the year for which the permit is applied for;
(3)the applicant was convicted of an offence which, by reason of its nature, gravity or circumstances, renders the applicant, in the Committee's opinion, unfit to receive a permit, or an administrative fine was imposed on the applicant in respect of such an offence, or an indictment was filed against the applicant in respect of such an offence and a final judgment has not yet been given in the matter;
(4)the applicant has a debt in respect of a periodic fee for a permit, if prescribed in Regulations under section 51(b)(12), or a debt to the Pollination and Honey Council in respect of a levy under this Law.
(b)The Permits Committee shall not refuse to grant a permit or to transfer it to another person, and shall not make it subject to conditions, unless it has notified the permit applicant or the permit holder, as the case may be, in writing, and has given that person an opportunity to present arguments.
(c)If the Permits Committee has decided to refuse a permit application, it shall notify the permit applicant thereof by a reasoned written notice, and shall also notify the party whose approval is required under section 25(a).
Validity of a Permit§
27.
A permit shall be valid for three years, unless one of the following applies:
(1)the applicant requested a permit for a shorter period;
(2)the permit was granted for a new placement point or for a placement point that became vacant, not in a procedure for the grant of permits conducted once every three years;
(3)the Committee decided, for reasons to be detailed in its decision, that it is justified to set a shorter period of validity for the permit.
Suspension, Amendment or Cancellation of a Permit§
28.
(a)The Permits Committee may suspend, amend or cancel a permit if any of the following applies:
(1)a condition of the conditions for the grant of the permit has ceased to be met;
(2)the permit holder has violated a provision of the provisions under this Law or a condition of the conditions of the permit;
(3)the Committee has cancelled the placement point;
(4)a request for the suspension, amendment or cancellation of the permit has been submitted to the Committee by a party whose approval is required for the grant of a permit under section 25(a), due to circumstances requiring the cessation of the placement of populated beehives by the permit holder on certain real property;
(5)the permit holder was convicted of an offence or an administrative fine was imposed on the permit holder in respect of a violation of a provision of the provisions under this Law, under the Bee Protection Ordinance [New Version], 5743-1983, or of a provision relating to bees given under the Animal Diseases Ordinance [New Version], 5745-1985, or an indictment for such an offence is pending against the permit holder.
(b)The Committee shall not suspend, amend or cancel a permit unless it has notified the permit holder thereof in writing, together with its reasons, at least 30 days before the adoption of the decision, and has given the permit holder an opportunity to present arguments.
Publication of Permits§
29.
(a)The Permits Committee shall publish on the Ministry's website a notice regarding the permits it has granted; such a publication shall include, inter alia, the following particulars:
(1)the placement point, the placement period at each placement point and the number of populated beehives that may be placed at each placement point under the permit;
(2)the identity of the permit holders in respect of each placement point, by first name and surname only, and in respect of a permit holder that is a corporation — the name of the corporation.
(b)A publication under this section shall not include particulars regarding a security area which the Minister of Defence or a person authorised by the Minister for this purpose has directed shall not be published for reasons of state security, provided that general information on the geographic area in which the placement point is situated shall be published.
(c)A permit shall be valid even if a notice in respect thereof has not been published under the provisions of this section, provided that it was granted lawfully; the Permits Committee shall publish a notice regarding the grant of a permit immediately upon becoming aware that it has not been published.
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Contact Us →Section D: Appeals Committee
Appeals Committee§
30.
(a)A person who considers themselves aggrieved by a decision of the Permits Committee may appeal against it to an appeals committee, within 30 days from the day on which the decision was delivered to that person.
(b)The appeals committee shall consist of three members, as follows:
(1)a person qualified to be a Magistrate's Court judge, appointed by the Minister of Justice, who shall be the chairperson;
(2)two members appointed by the Minister, one from among the employees of the Minister's office and the other from a list submitted to the Minister by the Pollination and Honey Council, at least one of whom shall have professional knowledge in the field of beekeeping, provided that an employee of the Council or a member of the Permits Committee shall not be appointed.
(c)The provisions under the Administrative Tribunals Law, 5752-1992 shall apply to the appeals committee.
(d)A notice of the composition of the appeals committee and its contact details shall be published on the Ministry's website.
(e)A final decision of the appeals committee on an appeal under subsection (a) may be appealed to an administrative affairs court.
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