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Legal Resources > Judicial Assistance Country Information > Israel, The West Bank, and Gaza Judicial Assistance Information
DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND MAY NOT BE TOTALLY ACCURATE IN A SPECIFIC CASE. QUESTIONS INVOLVING INTERPRETATION OF SPECIFIC FOREIGN LAWS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE APPROPRIATE FOREIGN AUTHORITIES OR FOREIGN COUNSEL.
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
14 David Flusser Street
Jerusalem 93392
Telephone: + (972) (2) 630-4000
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: + (972) (2) 622-7230
Email: JerusalemACS@state.gov
Contact the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for information and assistance in Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza (including the Erez Crossing), and the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge border crossing between Jordan and the West Bank.
U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs
18 Agron Road
Jerusalem 9419003
Telephone: + (972) (2) 630-4000
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: + (972) (2) 622-7230
Email: JerusalemACS@state.gov
U.S. Embassy Jerusalem Branch Office Tel Aviv
71 HaYarkon Street
Tel Aviv Israel 63903
Telephone: + (972) (3) 519-7575
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: + (972) (3) 519-7551
Email: TelAvivACS@state.gov
Contact the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv for information and assistance in Israel outside of Jerusalem, and the northern (Sheikh Hussein) and southern (Yitzhak Rabin) border crossings connecting Israel and Jordan, and the border crossings between Israel and Egypt.
List of Attorneys - U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv
Israel is a party to the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extra Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Matters. Complete information on the operation of the Convention, including an interactive online request form are available on the Hague Conference website. Requests should be completed in duplicate and submitted with two sets of the documents to be served, and translations, directly to Israel’s Central Authority for the Hague Service Convention. The person in the United States executing the request form should be either an attorney or clerk of court. The applicant should include the titles attorney at law or clerk of court on the identity and address of applicant and signature/stamp fields. The Israeli Central Authority advises that the documents to be served must be written in or translated into either Hebrew, English or Arabic. If another method of service is required or preferred, that method should be specified and relevant laws or regulations should be cited in the space provided on request form. In its Declarations and Reservations on the Hague Service Convention, Israel did not formally object to service under Article 10(a) of the Convention regarding service via postal channels. For additional information see the Hague Conference Service Convention web page and the Hague Conference Practical Handbook on the Operation of the Hague Service Convention. See also Israel’s response to the 2008 Hague Conference questionnaire on the practical operation of the Service Convention.
Service on a Foreign State: See also our Service Under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) feature and FSIA Checklist for questions about service on a foreign state, agency or instrumentality.
Service of Documents from Israel in the United States: See information about service in the United States on the U.S. Central Authority for the Service Convention page of the Hague Conference on Private International Law Service Convention site.
Prosecution Requests: U.S. federal or state prosecutors should also contact the Office of International Affairs, Criminal Division, Department of Justice for guidance.
Defense Requests in Criminal Matters: Criminal defendants or their defense counsel seeking judicial assistance in obtaining evidence or in effecting service of documents abroad in connection with criminal matters may do so via the letters rogatory process.
Israel is a party to the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil and Commercial Matters. Israel’s Central Authority for the Hague Evidence Convention designated to receive letters of request for the taking of evidence is the Ministry of Justice. See the Hague Evidence Convention Model Letters of Request for guidance on preparation of the letter of request. Requests for the compulsion of evidence under the Hague Evidence Convention are transmitted directly from the requesting court or person in the United States to the Israel Central Authority and do not require transmittal via diplomatic channels. Letters of Request and accompanying documents should be prepared in duplicate and translated into English or Hebrew. See Israel’s Declarations and Reservations regarding the Hague Evidence Convention. See also Israel’s response to the 2008 Hague Conference questionnaire on the practical operation of the Hague Evidence Convention.
Requests from Israel to Obtain Evidence in the United States: The U.S. Central Authority for the Hague Evidence Convention is the Office of International Judicial Assistance, Civil Division, Department of Justice, 1100 L Street N.W., Room 8102, Washington, D.C. 20530.
Voluntary depositions of willing U.S. citizen witnesses may be taken by U.S. Consular Officers and private attorneys without prior permission from Israeli authorities. Voluntary depositions of Israeli and third-country nationals require prior permission from the Israeli Central Authority for the Hague Evidence Convention. The taking of telephone and video-teleconference testimony of willing witnesses is permitted, assuming permission is granted when the witness is an Israeli or third country national. A deposition can be taken on notice from either party’s attorney or pursuant to a commission issued by a U.S. court. If taken on notice, the notice must state the time, place for taking the deposition and the name and address of each person to be examined. If the services of a U.S. consular officer are required to administer an oath to the witness, interpreter and stenographer, such arrangements must be made in advance with the U.S. embassy directly. If the deposition is taken pursuant to a commission, prior permission of the Israeli Central Authority is required.
Israel is a party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Public Documents. Israel’s competent authority for the Hague Apostille Convention will authenticate Israeli public documents with Apostilles. For information about authenticating U.S. public documents for use in Israel, see the list of U.S. Competent Authorities. To obtain an Apostille for a U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America, contact the U.S. Department of State, Passport Services, Vital Records Office.
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