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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

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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: Concealment of Offences

Definitions [F/1, Schedule]§
268.

In this Section —

"criminal offence" means one of the following:

(1)an offence under Chapter VII or under Section E of Chapter IX;
(2)an offence against life, body or morality for which the penalty is imprisonment of three years or more;
(3)an offence under any of the sections in Section D of Chapter IX and in Chapters XI (except section 401) and XII, or under section 489, that harms assets or rights of the State or of an audited body within the meaning of the State Comptroller Law, 5718-1958 [Consolidated Version];

"adjudicatory proceeding" means a proceeding intended to bring about one of the following:

(1)the expulsion of a person from a body of which the person is a member;
(2)the deprivation of any of a person's rights in such a body;
(3)public censure of a person's acts;
(4)any other sanction accompanied by censure that does not have solely religious significance.
Duty to Give Notice [F/1]§
269.

No person shall perform a role in an adjudicatory proceeding once a suspicion of a criminal offence has arisen in the course of the adjudication, unless notice has been given to the Attorney General or the Attorney General's representative.

Suspension of Adjudication [F/2]§
270.

Where notice has been given as referred to in section 269, or where a person has been charged with an offence under this Section, and the Attorney General or the Attorney General's representative has decided to institute proceedings in a court, the Attorney General may order the suspension of the said adjudication until the conclusion of the court proceedings.

Penalties [F/3]§
271.

One who contravenes a provision of this Section is liable to imprisonment of one year.

Defence [F/4]§
272.

In a charge under this Section it shall be a good defence for the accused to prove one of the following:

(1)that notice of that act had already been given to the Attorney General or the Attorney General's representative or to the police;
(2)that a police investigation had already been conducted or a person had already been charged in respect of that act.

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Section C: Assault of Police Officers and Prison Officers

Assault of a Police Officer [C/1]§
273.

One who assaults a police officer where the assault is connected to the lawful performance of the officer's duties, or who assaults another person assisting a police officer while the officer is lawfully performing the officer's duties, is liable to imprisonment of up to three years and not less than one month.

Assault of a Police Officer in Aggravated Circumstances [C/2]§
274.

One who assaults a police officer where the assault is connected to the lawful performance of the officer's duties and one of the following applies, is liable to imprisonment of up to five years and not less than three months:

(1)the person intended to frustrate the police officer in the performance of duties or to prevent or obstruct the officer from performing them;
(2)the person was armed with a firearm or a bladed weapon;
(3)the assault was committed jointly by more than two persons.
Obstruction of a Police Officer in the Course of Performing Duties [C/3]§
275.

One who does an act with intent to obstruct a police officer while lawfully performing duties or to frustrate the officer in doing so, or to obstruct or frustrate another person from assisting the officer, is liable to imprisonment of up to three years and not less than two weeks.

Obstruction of a Police Officer in Aggravated Circumstances§
275a.

One who throws or shoots a stone or other object at a police officer or at a police vehicle, with the purpose of obstructing the officer while lawfully performing duties or of frustrating the officer in doing so, is liable to imprisonment of five years.

Assault of a Prison Officer and Obstruction of a Prison Officer§
275b.

One who assaults a prison officer or obstructs a prison officer in the circumstances set out in section 273, 274, 275 or 275a, with the necessary modifications, is liable to the penalty prescribed for those sections; in this section, "prison officer" has the meaning assigned to it in the Prison Ordinance.

Interpretation [C/4]§
276.

In this Section, "assault" has the meaning assigned to it in section 378.

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Section D: Offences in Public Service and against It

Coercion by a Public Servant [A/109b] [1944]§
277.

A public servant who does one of the following is liable to imprisonment of three years:

(1)uses, or orders the use of, force or violence against a person in order to extort from that person, or from another in whom the person has an interest, a confession of an offence or information concerning an offence;
(2)threatens a person, or orders that the person be threatened, with harm to that person's body or property, or to the body or property of another in whom the person has an interest, in order to extort from the person a confession of an offence or information concerning an offence.
Public Servant with a Private Interest [A/110] [1946, 5726]§
278.

A public servant who, by virtue of office, holds judicial or administrative authority in relation to property of a particular kind or in relation to engagement in industry, commerce or business of a particular kind, and who exercises that authority in relation thereto, whether personally or through another, while having, directly or indirectly, a private interest therein, is liable to imprisonment of three years.

False Claims by a Public Servant [A/111] [1946]§
279.

A public servant who is required or authorised to submit a report or notice concerning an amount claimed by the servant or by another, or concerning any other matter requiring approval for the purpose of receiving money or goods, and who submits it knowing it to be false in a material particular, is liable to imprisonment of three years.

Abuse of Power of Office [A/112] [1946, 5726]§
280.

A public servant who does one of the following is liable to imprisonment of three years:

(1)by abusing the servant's authority, does or orders to be done an arbitrary act that infringes another person's right;
(2)enters a person's dwelling against that person's will, where not permitted to do so by law or otherwise than in accordance with procedures prescribed therefor by law.
False Certificate [A/113] [1944, 5726]§
281.

One who is authorised or required by law to issue a certificate capable of affecting a person's rights and who issues it knowing it to be false in a material particular is liable to imprisonment of five years.

Impersonating a Person with Authority [a/114]§
282.

One who does any of the following is liable to imprisonment of three years:

(1)purports to act as a holder of a judicial office, not being the holder of such an office;
(2)purports to act as one who is authorised by law to administer an oath or to receive a declaration or to perform any other act of an official nature that only a person authorised therefor by law may perform, and does not hold such authorisation;
(3)represents himself as one who is authorised by law to sign a certificate attesting to the contents of a register or record held by a lawful authority or attesting to a fact or event, and signs that certificate as one authorised to do so, knowing that he is not so authorised.
Impersonating a Public Servant [a/115]§
283.

One who does any of the following is liable to imprisonment of three years:

(1)impersonates a public servant when that servant is required by virtue of his position to perform an act or to be present;
(2)falsely represents himself as a public servant and, by virtue of that position, purports to perform an act or to be present at a place for the purpose of performing an act.
Fraud and Breach of Trust [a/140]§
284.

A public servant who, in the discharge of his duties, commits an act of fraud or breach of trust that harms the public, even if the act would not have constituted an offence had it been committed against an individual, is liable to imprisonment of three years.

Failure to Perform an Official Duty [a/141]§
285.

A public servant who wilfully abstains from performing a duty imposed upon him by law is liable to imprisonment of three years, unless the performance of the duty involved a danger greater than that which a person of ordinary strength and energy could withstand.

Breach of a Statutory Duty [a/142]§
286.

One who wilfully contravenes a provision of legislation, by an act prohibited under that legislation or by abstaining from an act required to be done under that legislation, and the matter concerns the public, is liable to imprisonment of two years; provided that no intention to impose a different punishment for contravention thereof appears from that legislation.

Breach of a Lawful Direction [a/143]§
287.
(a)One who contravenes a direction lawfully given by a court or by an official or person acting in an official capacity and competent in the matter is liable to imprisonment of two years.
(b)One who contravenes any of the provisions of an Order given by a court for the protection of the life, body or well-being of another person from the contravener is liable to imprisonment of four years.
Insulting a Public Servant [a/144]§
288.

One who insults, by gestures, words or acts, a public servant, or a judge or official of a religious court, or a member of a commission of inquiry under the Commissions of Inquiry Law, 5729-1968, while they are performing their duties or in connection with the performance of their duties, is liable to imprisonment of six months.

Obstructing a Public Servant§
288a.

One who does any of the following is liable to imprisonment of one year:

(1)knowingly obstructs a public servant or a person authorised to perform the functions of a public servant in the performance of his duties under law;
(2)fails to fulfil a duty imposed upon him under legislation to furnish information or a document.
Incitement to Withhold Obligatory Payments [a/145]§
289.

One who incites a person, or a group of persons, not to pay, or to delay, an obligatory payment of which the Government has given notice in Reshumot (Official Gazette), whether the incitement is express or implied, whether by oral or written words or by signs or visual displays or by other means, is liable to imprisonment of six months; and the same applies to one who performs an act with intent to bring, or knowing that it is likely to bring, the said means of incitement, directly or indirectly in any form whatsoever, to the knowledge of a person or a group of persons.

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Section E: Bribery Offences

Taking a Bribe [b/1] [5724, 5730]§
290.
(a)A public servant who takes a bribe in respect of an act connected with his duties is liable to imprisonment of ten years or a fine being whichever of the following is the higher:
(1)five times the fine referred to in section 61(a)(4), and if the offence was committed by a corporation — ten times the fine referred to in section 61(a)(4);
(2)four times the value of the benefit that he obtained or intended to obtain by the offence.
(b)In this section, "public servant" — includes an employee of a corporation that provides a service to the public.
Giving a Bribe§
291.

One who gives a bribe to a public servant as defined in section 290(b) in respect of an act connected with his duties is liable to imprisonment of seven years or a fine as referred to in section 290(a).

Giving a Bribe to a Foreign Public Servant§
291a.
(a)One who gives a bribe to a foreign public servant in respect of an act connected with his duties, in order to obtain, secure or advance business activity or any other advantage in connection with business activity, shall be treated as a person who gives a bribe under section 291.
(b)An indictment for an offence under this section shall not be filed except with the written consent of the Attorney General.
(c)In this section —

"foreign state" — includes every governmental unit within the foreign state, including a national, district or local unit, and includes a political entity that is not a state, including the Palestinian Council;

"foreign public servant" — any of the following:

(1)an employee of the foreign state and any person who holds public office or performs a public function on behalf of the foreign state, including one who holds office or performs a function in the legislative, executive or judicial branch of the foreign state, whether by election, appointment or agreement;
(2)a holder of public office or a person who performs a public function on behalf of a public body established under legislation of a foreign state, or on behalf of a body under the direct or indirect control of a foreign state;
(3)an employee of an international public organisation, and any person who holds public office or performs a public function on behalf of such an organisation; for this purpose, "international public organisation" — an organisation founded by two or more states, or by organisations founded by two or more states.
Bribery in Competitions [b/3a] [5731]§
292.
(a)One who gives a bribe with intent to influence the holding, course or results of a sporting competition or other competition in which the public has an interest in the holding or results thereof is liable to imprisonment of three years.
(b)The person taking the bribe shall be liable as the person giving the bribe.
Modes of Bribery [b/4]§
293.

It is immaterial in bribery —

(1)whether it was money, money's worth, a service or other benefit;
(2)whether it was for doing or for refraining, delaying, expediting, slowing, preferring or discriminating against;
(3)whether it was for a specific act or in order to induce general favouritism;
(4)whether it was for an act of the taker himself or for his influence on the act of another person;
(5)whether it was given by the giver directly or through another person; whether it was given to the taker or to another person on behalf of the taker; whether ab initio or ex post facto; and whether the person who benefited from the bribe was the taker or another person;
(6)whether the taker's position was one of authority or of service; whether it was permanent or temporary and whether general or for a specific matter; whether its discharge was with or without remuneration, whether voluntarily or in fulfilment of a duty;
(7)whether it was taken in order to deviate from the proper course in the discharge of his duties or for an act that the public servant was obliged to perform by virtue of his duties.
Additional Provisions [b/5]§
294.
(a)One who solicits or conditions a bribe, even if not complied with, shall be treated as one who takes a bribe.
(b)One who offers or promises a bribe, even if refused, shall be treated as one who gives a bribe.
(c)One who is a candidate for a position even though it has not yet been imposed upon him, and one upon whom a position has been imposed even though he has not yet begun to discharge it, shall be treated as one who discharges the position.
(d)In a trial for bribery, the court shall not entertain a plea —
(1)that there was a defect or disqualification in the imposition of the position upon the taker, in his appointment or in his election;
(2)that the taker did not perform, or even did not intend or was not competent or entitled to perform, the act.
Bribery Mediation and Prohibited Consideration for a Person of Significant Influence [B/6] [5723, 5724, 5731]§
295.
(a)A person who receives money, money's worth, a service or any other benefit in order to give a bribe shall be treated as if he were a bribe taker; and it is immaterial whether consideration was given for his mediation, to him or to another, or not, and whether he intended to give a bribe or not.
(b)A person who receives money, money's worth, a service or any other benefit in order to induce, by himself or through another, a public servant as referred to in section 290(b) or a foreign public servant as referred to in section 291a(c) to show favouritism or to discriminate shall be treated as if he were a bribe taker.
(b1)
(1)A person of significant influence over the selection of a candidate for the office of Prime Minister, Minister, Deputy Minister, Member of the Knesset or head of a local authority (in this subsection — candidate), who receives money, money's worth, a service or any other benefit in order to induce, by himself or through another, a candidate to perform an act connected with his office, shall be liable to three years' imprisonment; if he received as aforesaid in order to induce a candidate to show favouritism or to discriminate, he shall be treated as if he were a bribe taker;

In this subsection —

"primary elections", "donation" — as defined in section 28a of the Parties Law;

"person of significant influence" means a person who has significant influence over the selection of a candidate in a party or faction, including within the framework of primary elections and including by virtue of being one of the following:

(1)a member of a management board, audit body or tribunal of a party, or the holder of a position parallel or similar to any of these in a party;
(2)a person entitled to vote in elections for a candidate in which the number of persons entitled to vote does not exceed five thousand;
(3)a person who acted to secure the enrolment of a significant number, in the circumstances of the matter, of persons entitled to vote in elections for a candidate; where a person acted to secure the enrolment of fifty or more persons entitled to vote in elections for a candidate, it shall be presumed that the provisions of this paragraph apply to him, unless he proves otherwise;
(4)a person who donated, raised donations or expended funds for the purpose of promoting the selection of a candidate in a party or faction, of a value exceeding NIS 5,000, or who donated, raised donations or expended funds as aforesaid in favour of at least two candidates in the same election campaign, of a value exceeding NIS 15,000;

"Parties Law" means the Parties Law, 5752-1992;

"party" — as defined in the Parties Law;

"faction" — as defined in the Party Financing Law, 5733-1973.

(c)A person who gives money, money's worth, a service or any other benefit to a recipient as referred to in subsections (a) or (b) shall be treated as a bribe giver, and to a recipient as referred to in subsection (b1), shall be liable to half the punishment prescribed in that subsection.
(d)For the purposes of this section, "receipt" includes receipt on behalf of another or by another.
Evidence [b/7]§
296.

In a trial for an offence under this Section, the court may convict on the basis of a single piece of testimony, even if that testimony is the testimony of an accomplice to the offence.

Forfeiture and Payment [b/8]§
297.
(a)Where a person has been convicted of an offence under this Section, the court may, in addition to the punishment it imposes —
(1)order the forfeiture of what was given as a bribe and of what has come in its place;
(2)order the person who gave the bribe to pay to the State Treasury the value of the benefit he derived from the bribe.
(b)This Section does not preclude a civil claim.

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