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Penal Law, 5737-1977

חוק העונשין, תשל"ז-1977

Published: 1977-08-04Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-07-02 · Last amended 2026-06-30✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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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.

Section B: Treason

Harm to the Sovereignty or Integrity of the State [IV/7]§
97.
(a)A person who, with intent to harm the sovereignty of the State, does an act capable of harming its sovereignty, is liable – to death or life imprisonment.
(b)A person who, with intent that any territory shall be removed from the sovereignty of the State or shall come under the sovereignty of a foreign state, does an act capable of bringing that about, is liable – to death or life imprisonment.
Causing War [IV/8]§
98.

A person who, with intent to bring about military action against Israel, does an act capable of bringing that about, is liable – to fifteen years' imprisonment; if the person intended to assist the enemy, the person is liable – to death or life imprisonment.

Assisting the Enemy in War [IV/9]§
99.
(a)A person who, with intent to assist the enemy in its war against Israel, does an act capable of assisting it to that end, is liable – to death or life imprisonment.
(b)For the purposes of this Section, "assistance" – including the delivery of information with the intent that it reach the enemy or with the knowledge that it may reach the enemy, and it is immaterial that at the time of its delivery no war was being conducted.
Disclosure of Intent to Commit Treason [IV/10]§
100.

A person who does an act that discloses one of the intentions referred to in sections 97, 98 or 99, is liable – to ten years' imprisonment.

Service in Enemy Forces [IV/11]§
101.

An Israeli citizen and any other person who owes a duty of trust to the State of Israel, whether by reason of being obligated to security service under the Defence Service Law, 5719-1959 [Consolidated Version], or by reason of having served in the service of the State, who has served in the armed forces of the enemy, is liable – to fifteen years' imprisonment.

Assistance to prisoner of war [D/12]§
102.
(a)One who assisted a prisoner of war to escape or to attempt to escape from the place of his detention or from Israel, is liable to ten years' imprisonment; if he intended thereby to harm the security of the State, he is liable to fifteen years' imprisonment.
(b)One who was negligent in his duty to prevent the escape of a prisoner of war, is liable to three years' imprisonment.
Defeatist propaganda [D/13]§
103.

One who, during combat and with intent to cause panic in the public, disseminated information capable of undermining the spirit of Israel's soldiers and residents in their resistance to the enemy, is liable to five years' imprisonment; if he intended thereby to harm the security of the State, he is liable to ten years' imprisonment.

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Section C: Harm to Armed Forces

Armed forces [D/14]§
104.

The following are the armed forces for the purposes of this Section:

(1)the Israel Defence Forces;
(2)the Israel Police;
(3)other armed forces operating against the enemy in co-operation with the Israel Defence Forces.
Mutiny in armed forces [D/15]§
105.
(a)Three or more members of an armed force who do any of the following constitute mutiny for the purposes of this Section:
(1)they jointly, and in disobedience of an order, seize arms or use arms in their possession or use means of compulsion against a commander;
(2)they jointly refuse to carry out an order during a military operation or to carry out an order relating to such an operation.
(b)In this Section, "commander" means one who is superior in rank, including a person who, under military orders or military custom, is entitled to give him an order.
Mutiny [D/16]§
106.

One who incites mutiny or participates in it, is liable to fifteen years' imprisonment.

Mutiny with intent to harm security of the State [D/17]§
107.

One who committed any of the acts referred to in section 106 with intent to harm the security of the State, is liable to life imprisonment.

Harm to property [D/18]§
108.
(a)One who wilfully caused damage to property in use by an armed force or who wilfully endangered the supply to the armed forces, is liable to seven years' imprisonment.
(b)One who negligently caused damage to property in use by an armed force or who negligently endangered the supply to the armed forces, is liable to three years' imprisonment.
(c)One who committed an offence under subsection (a) where the act of the offence was capable of harming the security of the State, is liable to ten years' imprisonment.
(d)One who committed an offence under subsection (a) during a period in which hostile military operations by or against Israel are being conducted, is liable to fifteen years' imprisonment.
Incitement to evasion [D/19]§
109.
(a)One who incited or induced a person liable for service in an armed force not to serve in it or not to report for a military operation, is liable to five years' imprisonment.
(b)One who incited or induced a person serving in an armed force to desert from his service or from a military operation, or who assisted him in deserting, is liable to seven years' imprisonment; for this purpose, "serving in an armed force" includes a person serving after having volunteered for the Israel Defence Forces pursuant to the provisions of section 17 of the Defence Service Law [Consolidated Version], 5746-1986.
(c)One who gave shelter to, or assisted in concealing, a person liable for service as referred to in subsection (a), having had reasonable grounds to assume that he was a deserter, is liable to three years' imprisonment.
(d)One who committed an offence under this section during a period in which hostile military operations by or against Israel are being conducted, is liable to fifteen years' imprisonment.
(e)In this section, "desertion" means absence from service in an armed force with intent not to return.
Incitement to disobedience [D/20]§
110.

One who incited or induced a person serving in an armed force to disobey a lawful order, is liable to one year's imprisonment; if he intended thereby to harm the security of the State, he is liable to five years' imprisonment; if the offence was committed during a period in which hostile military operations by or against Israel are being conducted, he is liable to seven years' imprisonment.

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Section D: Espionage

Transmitting information to the enemy [D/21]§
111.

One who knowingly transmitted information to the enemy or on its behalf, is liable to ten years' imprisonment; if the information was likely to be of benefit to the enemy, he is liable to fifteen years' imprisonment; if he intended thereby to harm the security of the State, he is liable to life imprisonment; one who negligently caused information likely to be of benefit to the enemy to be transmitted to the enemy or on its behalf, is liable to three years' imprisonment.

Espionage [D/22]§
112.
(a)One who transmitted information with intent to harm the security of the State, is liable to fifteen years' imprisonment.
(b)One who obtained, collected, prepared, recorded or held information with intent to harm the security of the State, is liable to ten years' imprisonment.
Aggravated espionage [D/23]§
113.
(a)(Repealed)
(b)One who transmitted classified information without being authorised to do so and intended thereby to harm the security of the State, is liable to life imprisonment.
(c)One who obtained, collected, prepared, recorded or held classified information without being authorised to do so, is liable to seven years' imprisonment; if he intended thereby to harm the security of the State, he is liable to fifteen years' imprisonment.
(d)
(1)In this section, "classified information" means information which the security of the State requires to be kept secret, or information relating to a category of matters that the Government, with the approval of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee of the Knesset, has declared, by an Order published in Reshumot (Official Gazette), to be classified matters;
(2)information whose content, form, manner of keeping, source or circumstances of receipt indicate an obligation to keep it secret shall be presumed to be information which the security of the State requires to be kept secret, unless the contrary is proved;
(3)the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) shall also apply for the purposes of section 113a.
(e)It shall be a good defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (c) that he did nothing unlawful to obtain the information as classified information, and that he obtained, collected, prepared, recorded or held it in good faith and for a reasonable purpose.
Classified information§
113a.

One who transmitted classified information without being authorised to do so, is liable to fifteen years' imprisonment.

Contact with a foreign agent [5727] [D/24]§
114.
(a)One who knowingly made contact with a foreign agent and has no reasonable explanation therefor, is liable to fifteen years' imprisonment.
(b)A person who attempted to make contact with a foreign agent, or who visited the place of residence or the place of work of a foreign agent or was found in his company, or in whose possession the name or address of a foreign agent was found and who has no reasonable explanation therefor, shall be treated as one who makes contact with a foreign agent.
(c)In this section, "foreign agent" includes a person in respect of whom there is reasonable ground to suspect that he engaged, or was sent to engage, on behalf of or for a foreign state or a terrorist organisation, in the collection of classified information or in other acts capable of harming the security of the State of Israel, and also a person in respect of whom there is reasonable ground to suspect that he is a member of, or is connected with, or is acting on the mission of, a terrorist organisation.
(d)A person shall not be convicted under this section if the court is satisfied that he did not do, and did not intend to do, anything capable of leading to harm to the security of the State.
Entry into a military location [D/25]§
115.
(a)One who, without being authorised to do so, entered a restricted area, attempted to penetrate into it, remained in it, attempted to ascertain its structure or what takes place within it, or without reasonable explanation loitered in its vicinity, and also one who attempted to obstruct or to mislead a sentinel or guard posted over a restricted area, is liable to three years' imprisonment; if he intended thereby to harm the security of the State, he is liable to fifteen years' imprisonment.
(b)In this section, "restricted area" means a place held by the Israel Defence Forces or used for a security purpose, entry to which is guarded or is restricted pursuant to a notice displayed conspicuously outside it.
Preparatory act [D/26]§
116.

One who does any of the following with intent to prepare an act constituting an offence under this Section punishable by seven years' imprisonment or a more severe punishment, or to assist another person to prepare such an act, is liable to five years' imprisonment:

(1)forges a document or holds a forged document;
(2)holds an official document or uses it without being authorised to do so;
(3)uses false pretences or knowingly gives a false notice;
(4)without lawful authority uses the uniform of the Israel Defence Forces or of the Israel Police or other official uniform;
(5)without lawful authority holds an official seal, stamp or stationery or a secret password.

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Section E: Official Secrets

Disclosure in breach of duty [5727] [D/27]§
117.
(a)A public servant who, without lawful authority, transmitted to a person not authorised to receive it information that came to him by virtue of his position, and also a person to whom information came by virtue of his position as a public servant and who, after ceasing to be a public servant, transmitted it, without lawful authority, to a person not authorised to receive it, is liable to three years' imprisonment.
(b)A public servant who was negligent in keeping information that came to him by virtue of his position, or who did an act capable of endangering the security of such information, is liable to one year's imprisonment.
(c)A person to whom information came by virtue of his position as a public servant and who held it, without lawful authority, in contravention of instructions given to him concerning its keeping, or after ceasing to be a public servant, is liable to one year's imprisonment.
(d)
(1)It shall be a good defence for a defendant under subsection (a) that the information had already been lawfully published to the public or lawfully made available for public inspection;
(2)it shall also be a good defence for a defendant under subsection (a) in respect of the transmission of information after ceasing to be a public servant that the transmission of the information was after five years from the day on which he ceased to be a public servant and that in the transmission of the information there was no harm to a matter in which the public has an interest or infringement of the right of an individual;
(3)the provisions of paragraph (2) shall not apply to information relating to the security of the State or to its foreign relations unless the competent authority approved, prior to its transmission, that the transmission of the information would not harm the security of the State or its foreign relations; for this purpose, "the competent authority" means the Chief Military Censor or another office holder, all as the Government shall prescribe by Order, with the approval of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Knesset, generally or according to categories of matters;
(4)where the Chief Military Censor approved the publication of information as the competent authority pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3), the approval shall be regarded also as approval on his behalf for the publication of the information under Part 8 of the Defence (Emergency) Regulations, 1945, unless the Chief Military Censor determined otherwise.
Concealment of information by a public servant§
117a.

A public servant who gave non-classified information the form of classified information with the purpose of preventing its publication, is liable to one year's imprisonment; for this purpose, "classified information" has the same meaning as in section 113.

Disclosure in breach of contract [D/28]§
118.
(a)Where a person was a party to a contract with the State or with an audited body within the meaning of the State Comptroller Law, 5718-1958 [Consolidated Version], and the contract contains an undertaking to keep secret information that comes to him by reason of the performance of the contract, and he transmitted, without lawful authority, such information to a person not authorised to receive it, he is liable to one year's imprisonment.
(b)In this section, "party to a contract" includes a person employed, whether as an employee or as a contractor, for the purpose of performing the contract; however, it shall be a good defence for a defendant under this section that he did not know of the undertaking to keep such information secret and that he transmitted the information in good faith.
Disclosure in breach of trust [D/29]§
119.

One to whom an official document was transmitted on the express condition that he keep it secret, and who transmitted it to a person not authorised to receive it, is liable to one year's imprisonment; one who was negligent in keeping it or who did an act capable of endangering the security of the document, is liable to six months' imprisonment.

Acts of Impersonation [D/30]§
120.

A person who made, sold or delivered a seal or stamp or paper purporting to be official, and likewise a person who made, sold or delivered uniforms of the Israel Defence Forces or of the Israel Police or other official uniforms, without lawful authority, is liable to imprisonment of one year; if the person intended to prepare an act constituting an offence under this Chapter punishable by imprisonment of seven years or a more severe punishment, the person is liable to imprisonment of five years.

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