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National Council for Food Security Law, 5771-2011

חוק המועצה הארצית לביטחון תזונתי, תשע"א-2011

Published: 2011-08-07Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-04-21 · Last amended 2024-08-14✓ 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.

Purpose§

1.

The purpose of this Law is to promote food security for the residents of Israel, in the spirit of human dignity and the principles of equality, justice and fairness, and to that end to establish the National Council for Food Security, which shall advise the Minister on this matter.

Definitions§

2.

In this Law –

"food security" means the ability to regularly consume food that includes all the nutritional components required for normal development and for human health;

"the Council" means the National Council for Food Security established under section 4;

"resident" means a person who is a resident for the purposes of the National Insurance Law [Consolidated Version], 5755-1995, including a resident of Israel in the Area as defined in section 378 of that Law;

"the Minister" means the Minister of Welfare and Social Services.

Formulation of policy in the field of food security§

3.

The Minister, in consultation with the Minister of Health and the Minister of Education – each within the area of responsibility of his or her ministry – shall be responsible for formulating policy in the field of food security for the residents of Israel and shall bring it to the knowledge of the Government.

Establishment of the Council§

4.

The National Council for Food Security is hereby established.

Functions of the Council§

5.

The Council shall advise the Minister on the following matters:

(1)planning of policy in the field of food security, including programmes for ensuring food security for the population in the short term and in the long term;
(2)enforcement, supervision and monitoring activities undertaken by all the bodies responsible for food security in the relevant Government ministries;
(3)examination of models for achieving food security among the population and the conducting of research required for that purpose.

Appointment and composition of the Council§

6.
(a)The Minister shall appoint the members of the Council.
(b)The Council shall consist of 13 members, and its composition shall be as follows:
(1)a person with expertise and knowledge in the fields of welfare and society who is not a State employee, and who shall serve as the Chairperson of the Council;
(2)two employees of the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services;
(3)an employee of the Ministry of Finance, on the recommendation of the Minister of Finance;
(4)an employee of the Ministry of Education, on the recommendation of the Minister of Education;
(5)two employees of the Ministry of Health, on the recommendation of the Minister of Health, one of whom is a dietitian and the other a food engineer;
(6)an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on the recommendation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;
(7)an employee of the Ministry for Senior Citizens, on the recommendation of the Minister for Senior Citizens;
(8)a representative of the Centre for Local Government;
(9)a representative from among organisations engaged in the promotion of social security;
(10)a faculty member with expertise in the field of welfare policy, on the recommendation of the Council for Higher Education as defined in the Council for Higher Education Law, 5718-1958;
(11)an economist with experience in the field of food security.
(c)The Minister shall appoint from among the members of the Council a deputy to the Chairperson of the Council.
(d)Adequate expression shall be given in the composition of the Council to the representation of persons of both sexes.
(e)Notice of the appointment of the Council, its composition and any change in its composition shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Restrictions on appointment and tenure§

7.

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

(1)he or she has been convicted by a final judgment of an offence which, by reason of its nature, gravity or circumstances, renders him or her unfit to serve as a member of the Council;
(2)he or she is likely to find himself or herself on a regular basis, directly or indirectly, in a situation of conflict of interests between his or her role as a member of the Council and a personal interest of his or her own, or between his or her said role and another role of his or her own; in this section –

"personal interest" includes a personal interest of a relative, or an interest of a body of which the member of the Council or a relative of his or hers serves as a director or responsible employee, or an interest of a body in which they hold a share in its share capital, a right to receive profits, a right to appoint a director or a voting right;

"relative" means a spouse, parent, child, sibling or other person dependent on the member of the Council, as well as a descendant or spouse of any of them, and also a partner, employer or employee of the member of the Council.

Term of office§

8.

A member of the Council shall be appointed for a period of three years and may be reappointed for additional terms of office; however, a member of the Council who was appointed under the provisions of section 6(b)(1), (8), (9), (10) or (11) may be reappointed for one additional period of three years, and may furthermore be appointed again after an interruption of at least three consecutive years.

Vacation of office and suspension§

9.
(a)A member of the Council shall cease to hold office before the end of his or her term of office in any of the following circumstances:
(1)he or she resigned by delivering a letter of resignation to the Minister;
(2)he or she ceased to be an employee of the Government ministry or the body that he or she represents on the Council;
(3)one of the circumstances under section 7 that disqualify a person from being a member of the Council has occurred in relation to him or her.
(b)If an indictment has been filed against a member of the Council for an offence which, by reason of its nature, gravity or circumstances, renders him or her unfit to serve as a member of the Council, the Minister may suspend him or her from office until the conclusion of the proceedings in his or her matter.

Removal from office§

10.

The Minister may remove a member of the Council from office before the end of his or her term of office for any of the following reasons:

(1)he or she is permanently unable to fulfil his or her role;
(2)he or she was absent from three consecutive meetings or from four meetings within one year of the Council and there was no reasonable cause for his or her absence.

Conflict of interests§

11.
(a)A member of the Council shall refrain from participating in a discussion and from voting at meetings of the Council if the matter under discussion is likely to cause him or her to find himself or herself, directly or indirectly, in a situation of conflict of interests between his or her role as a member of the Council and a personal interest of his or her own as defined in section 7, or between his or her said role and another role of his or her own; a member of the Council shall not deal, within the framework of his or her role on the Council, with a matter that is likely to cause him or her to find himself or herself in such a situation also outside the meetings of the Council.
(b)If it becomes apparent to a member of the Council that a matter being discussed at a meeting or being handled by him or her is likely to cause him or her to find himself or herself in a situation of conflict of interests as referred to in subsection (a), he or she shall notify the Chairperson of the Council thereof, shall provide the Chairperson with all the information relevant to the matter, and shall refrain from participating or from dealing as referred to in subsection (a); if the said member of the Council is the Chairperson of the Council, he or she shall deliver the notification and the information as aforesaid to the Minister.

Working procedures of the Council§

12.
(a)The Chairperson of the Council shall chair its meetings; he or she shall convene meetings of the Council and shall determine their dates, locations and agendas.
(b)The Council shall hold discussions at least once every two months.
(c)The Council shall determine its own working methods and procedures, insofar as these have not been prescribed by provisions under this Law.
(d)The quorum at meetings of the Council shall be a majority of its members, including the Chairperson of the Council or his or her deputy.
(e)Decisions of the Council shall be adopted by a majority of the votes of those participating in the vote.

Establishment of committees§

13.

The Council may appoint committees from among its members for a period that it shall determine, appoint a chairperson for a committee, transfer to a committee some of its functions and delegate to it some of its powers, and may also avail itself of experts who are not among its members.

Validity of acts§

14.

The existence of the Council, its powers and the validity of its decisions and acts shall not be affected by reason of a vacancy in the place of a member thereof, or by reason of a defect in the appointment or continued tenure of a member, provided that a majority of the members of the Council are lawfully serving.

Reimbursement of expenses§

15.
(a)A member of the Council shall not be entitled to receive remuneration for participation in meetings of the Council or its committees, but shall be entitled to reimbursement of expenses incurred for the purpose of participation in meetings of the Council or its committees in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b).
(b)The Minister and the Minister of Finance shall prescribe rules and conditions according to which reimbursement of expenses under the provisions of subsection (a) shall be paid to a member of the Council, and the rate thereof.

Services to the Council§

16.

The Ministry of Welfare and Social Services shall provide the Council with the services required for the purpose of its activity and the fulfilment of its functions under this Law.

Collection of information and maintenance of confidentiality§

17.
(a)In this section –

"Freedom of Information Law" means the Freedom of Information Law, 5758-1998;

"information" has the meaning assigned to it in section 2 of the Freedom of Information Law;

"public authority" means the Government and Government ministries, including their units and attached units, a local authority and a corporation established by law.

(b)For the purpose of carrying out its functions under this Law, the Council may require a public authority to provide information on a matter relating to food security; the public authority shall transmit the information to the Council upon its demand; however, a public authority shall not transmit –
(1)information as referred to in section 9(a)(1), (2) or (4) of the Freedom of Information Law, and it may refrain from transmitting information as referred to in section 9(b) of that Law or in a case listed in section 8(1) of that Law;
(2)data constituting personal information as defined in the Privacy Protection Law, 5741-1981.
(c)Section 11 of the Freedom of Information Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to the transmission of information from a public authority to the Council under this section.
(d)The Minister of Justice, in consultation with the Minister, shall prescribe provisions regarding the manner of demanding information and regarding the manner of its transmission and the timetable for its transmission to the Council.

Annual report§

18.
(a)The Council shall submit to the Minister and to the Labour, Welfare and Health Committee of the Knesset a report on the performance of its functions, which shall also include its recommendations; a report under this subsection shall be submitted once a year.
(b)The Council shall hold a discussion on the annual report after its submission as referred to in subsection (a); the Government shall hold a discussion on the annual report in the framework of its deliberations on the annual budget and shall consult with the Council regarding budgets related to its areas of activity.

Savings provisions§

19.

This Law is intended to add to the provisions of any law and not to derogate therefrom.

Implementation and regulations§

20.

The Minister is charged with the implementation of this Law, and may, with the approval of the Labour, Welfare and Health Committee of the Knesset, make Regulations on any matter relating to its implementation.

Amendment of Administrative Affairs Courts Law – No. 61§

21.

In the Administrative Affairs Courts Law, 5760-2000, in the First Schedule, after item 42 the following shall be inserted:

"43. A decision of an authority under the National Council for Food Security Law, 5771-2011, except for decisions under Section 3 of that Law, including Government decisions under that section.".

Commencement§

22.

This Law shall come into force six months from the day of its publication.

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