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What happens if a bank or employer ignores an Israeli attachment order and pays the debtor anyway?

A third party served with an attachment order in Israel (a bank, employer, tenant, or trade debtor) must freeze or hand over the money it holds for the debtor. If it ignores the order and pays the debtor anyway, Section 47 of the Execution Law 5727-1967 makes that third party personally liable to the creditor for the value it wrongly released. The creditor can open a separate enforcement file directly against the third party. This turns a stonewalling bank or employer into a new debtor you can pursue.

An attachment order (tzav ikul, seizure order) served on a third party under Sections 44 to 47 of the Execution Law 5727-1967 legally freezes any money or property that party holds for the judgment debtor. The order binds the third party from the moment it is served. Under Section 47, a garnishee who fails to answer the office, who releases the frozen funds to the debtor, or who otherwise disregards the order without lawful excuse can be held personally answerable for the sum involved. The Execution Office registrar decides these liability questions after giving the third party a chance to explain.

For a foreign creditor, this rule is a practical lever. A common failure is a bank that keeps processing a debtor's withdrawals after a freeze, or an employer that keeps paying full wages despite a garnishment. Once you show the order was served and the payment still went out, the registrar can charge the third party directly, and you open enforcement against that party as if it were the judgment debtor. Serve the order by a method that creates proof of receipt, and follow up in writing if the third party does not respond within the deadline, because that written record is what supports a later liability claim.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing law: Sections 44-47, Execution Law (Hok HaHotzaa LaPoal) 5727-1967
  • Competent authority: Execution and Collection Authority / Rashut HaAchifa VeHaGviya, through the local Execution Office / Lishkat HaHotzaa LaPoal
  • Third party response deadline: usually within 10 days of being served the attachment order to report what it holds
  • Fee to open a new file: against a non-complying third party: standard Execution Office opening fee, roughly 1.25% of the claim (2026)
  • Extra fact: the registrar can also order the non-complying third party to pay the creditor's costs and interest on the released sum
  • Timeline: a liability determination against the third party typically takes 2 to 4 months after you file the complaint

From the full guide: The Israeli Execution Office: How Judgment Creditors Enforce Payment

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Get a Free Consultation with Adv. Eli ShimonyPrepared under the direction of Adv. Eli Shimony, Eli Shimony Law Office · Editorial policy

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