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How can a foreign party enforce an Israeli mediation settlement agreement outside Israel?

There is no mediation equivalent of the New York Convention available for Israel today. Israel signed the Singapore Convention on Mediation in 2019 but has not brought it into force domestically, so a mediated settlement is enforced abroad as an ordinary contract under the receiving country's law. The reliable workaround is to convert the settlement into an enforceable instrument before the parties separate: have an Israeli court confirm it as a judgment, or have an arbitrator record it as a consent award that travels under the New York Convention.

Israeli law makes a mediated settlement straightforward to enforce inside Israel. A settlement reached in mediation can be submitted to the court that referred the case, or to a court in the district, and given the force of a judgment. Once confirmed it is collected through the Execution Office like any other Israeli judgment, with attachment, garnishment and asset seizure all available. What confirmation does not do is give the document international currency, because most enforcement treaties cover judgments given in contested proceedings and arbitral awards, not privately negotiated settlements between the parties.

The practical route for a foreign party is to build enforceability into the process from the start. Where an arbitration is already on foot, ask the tribunal to record the settlement as a consent award under the Arbitration Law 5728-1968, which then circulates in more than 170 New York Convention states. Where no arbitration exists, insert a short arbitration clause into the settlement agreement itself, so a later breach can be arbitrated quickly and converted into an award. A confirmed Israeli judgment can also be taken abroad, but only through the receiving country's foreign judgment rules, which are slower and less predictable than arbitral award enforcement.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing law: Courts Law [Consolidated Version] 5744-1984 and the Israeli mediation regulations for confirmation; Arbitration Law 5728-1968 and the New York Convention 1958 for awards
  • Competent authority: the referring court, or the Magistrates’ or District Court for the district; Execution Office (Hotza’a LaPoal) for domestic collection
  • Treaty status: Israel signed the Singapore Convention on Mediation in 2019, and it is not in force for Israel as of 2026; verify the current position before relying on it
  • Timeline: court confirmation of a settlement usually takes 2-8 weeks; converting a settlement into a consent arbitral award can be done within days where a tribunal is already appointed
  • Drafting point: put a governing law clause, an arbitration clause and an express consent to entry of a consent award inside the settlement agreement itself

From the full guide: Mediation in Israel: A Complete Guide for Foreign Businesses and Parties

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