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Arbitration

Which Israeli court handles applications to confirm or set aside an arbitration award?

The District Court. Section 1 of the Arbitration Law 5728-1968 defines "the court" for the purposes of that Law as the District Court, so applications to confirm an award under Section 23, to set one aside under Section 24, to appoint or remove an arbitrator, or to extend the time for making an award all go there whatever the sum in dispute. Arbitration arising from family disputes is the main exception and is handled by the Family Court. Because these are applications rather than money claims, the court fee is a modest fixed amount instead of a percentage of the award.

Filing in the wrong forum wastes time the deadlines do not allow. Section 27 gives a party 45 days from receiving the award to apply to set it aside, cut to 15 days once the other side has served a confirmation application, and a misdirected filing does not stop that clock. The application goes to the District Court in whose district the arbitration was seated or the respondent resides, and it is heard on affidavits rather than by full trial. A District Court decision on an arbitration application can be taken further only with leave, under Section 38 of the Arbitration Law.

Cost is one of the practical attractions of this route. A civil claim in Israel carries a fee calculated as a percentage of the amount claimed, while an application under the Arbitration Law carries a fixed application fee, so confirming a large award costs no more than confirming a small one. Foreign awards follow a different path and are recognized under the New York Convention rather than Section 23, though the District Court hears those too. A party owed money should confirm the award first, because enforcement of an arbitration award in Israel at the Execution Office requires a confirmed award.

⚖ In Practice
  • Governing law: Sections 1, 23, 24, 27 and 38, Arbitration Law 5728-1968
  • Competent authority: District Court (Beit Mishpat Mehozi); Family Court (Beit Mishpat LeInyanei Mishpacha) for arbitration arising from family disputes
  • Deadlines: 45 days from receipt of the award to apply to set it aside, reduced to 15 days where a confirmation application has already been served
  • Court fee: a fixed application fee rather than a percentage of the award, in the region of NIS 1,000 to 1,700 (2026)
  • Timeline: an unopposed confirmation is commonly granted within 1 to 3 months; a contested set-aside application typically runs 6 to 18 months
  • Foreign awards: recognized under the New York Convention and the Foreign Arbitral Awards Enforcement Regulations 5738-1978, also in the District Court

From the full guide: Enforcing an Arbitration Award in Israel: A Complete Guide for Foreign Parties

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