Basic Laws

Israel does not have a single consolidated written constitution. Its constitutional framework is built mainly through the Basic Laws, enacted by the Knesset as chapters of a future constitution.

The Basic Laws regulate the main institutions of the state, the structure of government, protected rights, and several foundational principles of the Israeli legal system.

Official sources:

• Knesset: Basic Laws
• Knesset National Legislation Database

Knesset record links open official law cards and amendment histories. They are source records, not curated consolidated texts.

Current Basic Laws

Basic Law	Hebrew name	Main subject	Official record
Basic Law: The Knesset	חוק-יסוד: הכנסת	Parliament, elections, membership and continuity of the Knesset	Knesset record
Basic Law: Israel Lands	חוק-יסוד: מקרקעי ישראל	State lands and limits on transfer of Israel lands	Knesset record
Basic Law: The President of the State	חוק-יסוד: נשיא המדינה	Status, election and powers of the President	Knesset record
Basic Law: The Government	חוק-יסוד: הממשלה [התשס"א]	Formation, powers and operation of the Government	Knesset record
Basic Law: The State Economy	חוק-יסוד: משק המדינה	State budget, taxation, state property and fiscal framework	Knesset record
Basic Law: The Army	חוק-יסוד: הצבא	Status of the Israel Defense Forces and civil authority over the army	Knesset record
Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel	חוק-יסוד: ירושלים בירת ישראל	Jerusalem as the capital and seat of state institutions	Knesset record
Basic Law: The Judiciary	חוק-יסוד: השפיטה	Courts, judges, judicial independence and court structure	Knesset record
Basic Law: The State Comptroller	חוק-יסוד: מבקר המדינה	State Comptroller and public audit powers	Knesset record
Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty	חוק-יסוד: כבוד האדם וחירותו	Core personal rights, dignity, property, liberty, privacy and movement	Knesset record
Basic Law: Freedom of Occupation	חוק-יסוד: חופש העיסוק [התשנ"ד]	Freedom to engage in an occupation, profession or trade	Knesset record
Basic Law: Referendum	חוק-יסוד: משאל עם	Referendum requirement for certain territorial decisions	Knesset record
Basic Law: Israel - The Nation State of the Jewish People	חוק-יסוד: ישראל – מדינת הלאום של העם היהודי	National identity, symbols, language and Jewish national self-determination	Knesset record

Historical and temporary records

The Knesset database also flags several historical, replaced, or temporary records as Basic Laws. They are useful for legal history and amendment tracing, but they are not the current core list above.

Record	Hebrew name	Status in the Knesset database	Official record
Basic Law: The Government (1968 version)	חוק-יסוד: הממשלה [התשכ"ח]	Repealed/replaced	Knesset record
Basic Law: The Government (1992 version)	חוק-יסוד: הממשלה [התשנ"ב]	Repealed/replaced	Knesset record
Basic Law: Freedom of Occupation (1992 version)	חוק-יסוד: חופש העיסוק [התשנ"ב]	Repealed/replaced	Knesset record
Basic Law: State Budget for 2009-2016	חוק-יסוד: תקציב המדינה לשנים 2009 עד 2016 (הוראות מיוחדות) (הוראת שעה)	Obsolete temporary provision	Knesset record
Basic Law: State Budget for 2017-2018	חוק-יסוד: תקציב המדינה לשנים 2017 ו-2018 (הוראות מיוחדות) (הוראת שעה)	Obsolete temporary provision	Knesset record

For legal work, the Hebrew text and amendment history in the National Legislation Database should be treated as the controlling source. English translations published by the Knesset are useful reference materials, but they are not a substitute for checking the current Hebrew text.