NEWS / Israel temporarily stops issuing apostilles

Israeli courts have temporarily suspended apostille services, according to an update from immigration law firm Fragomen working in collaboration with Kan-Tor and Acco Law Firm. This delay could impact thousands of individuals seeking to use Israeli-issued documents such as birth, marriage, and death certificates; diplomas; powers of attorney; and any other notarized documents in other Apostille Convention member countries.

It is not clear what caused the courts to stop issuing apostilles. For the past few weeks, Israel has been gripped by protests against the judicial reform introduced by Justice Minister Yariv Levin and backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The reform would effectively eliminate the Supreme Court’s veto power over legislation and gives more control of the judiciary to the government. Netanyahu has argued that the reform would streamline the system and make it easier to pass laws, but critics underscored that it would tilt the balance of power in favor of Netanyahu’s government.

After weeks of public protests and general strikes in February-March 2023, Netanyahu announced a pause in the reform to open dialog with the opposition but attempts to reach a compromise ultimately failed in June, and the Knesset (Israeli parliament) passed a bill in July to limit the Supreme Court’s ability to declare government decisions unreasonable.

It is worth noting that documents issued in the United States can still be apostilled for use in Israel. A&M Logos International is here to assist you with the process, be it for Israel or any other country in the world. Call us today at (212) 233-7061 or e-mail us at info@apostille.us. You may also wish to visit our website.