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State Shemita Committee Law, 5768-2008

חוק ועדת שמיטה ממלכתית, תשס"ח-2008

Published: 2008-03-18Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2023-09-18 · Last amended 2009-08-10✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-11
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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.

State Shemita Committee§

1.

There is hereby established a State Shemita Committee (in this Law – the Committee), which shall assist in preparing the State of Israel for the Shemita year.

Powers of the Committee§

2.
(a)For the purpose of fulfilling its functions, the Committee may, inter alia, plan and recommend to the Government actions required to be carried out in preparation for the Shemita year.
(b)The Committee shall refer to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel for determination questions of Jewish law or matters having aspects of Jewish law, and its rulings on matters of Jewish law shall be binding on the Committee.
(c)The Committee shall initiate research activity in the agricultural and Jewish-law fields, in the framework of preparations for future Shemita years, and shall promote the implementation of solutions in the field of agricultural technology for Shemita that are compatible with Jewish law.

Appointment and composition of the Committee§

3.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (in this Law – the Minister) shall appoint the Committee; the Committee shall comprise 14 members, as follows:

(1)The two Chief Rabbis of Israel; the Chairperson of the Committee shall be the Chief Rabbi serving as President of the Council of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel at that time;
(2)An employee of the Prime Minister's Office, upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister;
(3)An employee of the Ministry of Finance, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Finance;
(4)Two employees of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;
(5)An employee of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Employment, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Employment;
(6)A representative of the Ministry for Religious Services, upon the recommendation of the Minister responsible for that Ministry;
(7)An employee of the Israel Land Authority, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Construction and Housing;
(8)Three representatives of bodies whose principal activity concerns commandments dependent on the Land, to be selected by the Council of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel;
(9)Two representatives of the Israel Farmers' Association (R.A.).

Term of office of the Committee and of a member of the Committee§

4.
(a)The term of office of the Committee is seven years, commencing at the end of each Shemita year; prior to that date, the Minister shall act to appoint the Committee for the next term of office.
(b)The term of office of a member of the Committee is seven years, and the Minister may reappoint that member for one additional term of office.

Conflict of interests§

5.
(a)A person who is liable to find himself, directly or indirectly, in a situation of conflict of interests between his function as a member of the Committee and a personal interest of his or another function of his shall not be appointed and shall not serve as a member of the Committee.
(b)A member of the Committee shall refrain from participating in a discussion and from voting at meetings of the Committee if the matter being discussed therein is liable to cause that member to find himself, directly or indirectly, in a situation of conflict of interests between his function as a member of the Committee and a personal interest of his or another function of his; a member of the Committee shall not deal, in the framework of his function on the Committee, with such a matter outside the meetings of the Committee either.
(c)If a member of the Committee becomes aware that a matter being discussed at a meeting of the Committee or being dealt with by that member is liable to cause that member to find himself in a situation of conflict of interests as referred to in subsections (a) or (b), that member shall notify the Chairperson of the Committee thereof and shall refrain from participating in the meetings of the Committee on that matter or from dealing with it.
(d)In this Section –

"personal interest" – includes a personal interest of a relative of the member, or an interest of a body that the member of the Committee or a relative of that member manages or in which they are responsible employees, or an interest of a body in which they hold a share of the share capital, a right to receive profits, a right to appoint a director or a voting right;

"relative" – spouse, parent, child, brother or sister, or another person who is dependent on the member of the Committee.

Cessation of office§

6.

A member of the Committee shall cease to serve before the end of his term of office upon the occurrence of any of the following:

(1)He resigned by delivering a letter of resignation to the Minister and to the Chairperson of the Committee;
(2)He ceased to be a member of the body by virtue of his position in which he was appointed as a member of the Committee;
(3)He was convicted of an offence which, by reason of its nature, gravity or circumstances, the Committee considered him unfit to continue in office;
(4)The Minister decided to terminate his office, provided that the Minister shall not so decide except after the Committee has addressed a request to that effect to the Minister upon the occurrence of any of the following:
(a)The member of the Committee is prevented from fulfilling his function;
(b)The member of the Committee is not properly fulfilling his function;
(c)The member of the Committee has been absent from three consecutive meetings of the Committee and, in the opinion of the Chairperson of the Committee, there was no reasonable cause for his absence;
(d)An indictment has been filed against the member of the Committee for an offence as referred to in paragraph (3).

Appointment of a member who has ceased to serve§

7.

If a member of the Committee has ceased to serve, or is unable to serve on it, the Minister shall act to appoint another member of the Committee in his place.

Procedure of the Committee§

8.

The Committee shall convene at least once a year, and may determine its own procedure to the extent that it has not been prescribed pursuant to this Law.

Validity of acts§

9.

The existence of the Committee, its powers and the validity of its decisions and acts shall not be affected by reason of a vacancy in the position of a member thereof or by reason of a defect in the appointment or continued service of a member.

Duty of reporting§

10.
(a)The Committee shall submit to the Minister, in the month of January of each year, a report comprising a summary of its annual activity in the budget year that ended on 31 December of the preceding year.
(b)The Minister shall submit to the Economics Committee of the Knesset, by 31 March of each year, the report received pursuant to subsection (a), together with the Minister's comments, conclusions and plans in connection with the matters included in the report.
(c)The report shall be brought to the attention of the public in the manner directed by the Minister.

Implementation and regulations§

11.

The Minister is responsible for the implementation of this Law and may, with the approval of the Economics Committee of the Knesset, make Regulations for its implementation.

Appointment of the first Committee§

12.

The Minister shall appoint the first Committee within two months of the end of the Shemita year concluding on the 29th of Elul 5768 (29 September 2008).

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LawReligion & StateAdministrative Law

חוק ועדת שמיטה ממלכתית, תשס"ח-2008

Shemita Committee Law

State Shemita Committee Law

Shemitah Committee Law

Shmita Law

Shemita statute

agricultural sabbatical law

sabbatical year committee

5768-2008

Shemita Law 2008

state committee shemita