Israeli NGOs Urged to Prepare for Post-Emergency Phase and Expand Aid Missions
תומצת מתוך Calcalist על ידי baba
Israeli NGOs have been granted temporary flexibility to extend their aid activities during the national emergency declared in October 2023. This special status, allowing support beyond their usual mandates, will expire by December 2026. NGOs are now urged to maximize their current aid efforts and consider formal charter expansions to continue long-term rehabilitation support post-emergency.
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- Israeli NGOs can extend aid beyond their usual goals during the national emergency until December 2026.
- This flexibility has enabled tens of millions of shekels in emergency support since October 2023.
- NGOs must meet legal and accounting conditions to benefit from this emergency aid extension.
- They are advised to maximize aid efforts within the next three months before the emergency status ends.
- NGOs should consider formally expanding their charters to continue post-emergency rehabilitation aid.
- The state recognizes NGOs' vital role in immediate and ongoing crisis support.
Israeli non-governmental organizations (NGOs) currently benefiting from emergency-related operational leniencies must prepare for the end of this special status, which is set to expire by December 1, 2026. Since October 2023, following the declaration of a national emergency due to ongoing conflict, the Registrar of Associations allowed NGOs to extend their aid activities beyond their usual mandates to provide immediate support to security forces, civilians, and affected populations. This included assistance with equipment, food, welfare, transportation, economic aid, and psychological and physical rehabilitation for injured soldiers and residents in frontline areas.
This temporary flexibility enabled NGOs to channel tens of millions of shekels toward emergency relief efforts, even when such activities diverged from their original objectives. The initiative, led by Attorney Shuli Avni Shoham, head of the Registrar of Associations and Corporations Authority at the Ministry of Justice, allowed NGOs to operate without formal amendments to their charters, provided they met conditions such as legal organizational decisions, clear accounting separation, and relevance to their approved goals.
As the emergency period continues, NGOs are advised to maximize their current aid capabilities within the next three months and consider long-term strategic adjustments. This includes formally expanding their charters through general assembly approval and Registrar consent to continue supporting rehabilitation and other related activities beyond the emergency. Such changes would enable NGOs to receive and allocate future donations for broader purposes aligned with ongoing recovery needs.
The emergency relief provisions underscore the state's recognition of NGOs' critical role in immediate and sustained support during crises. Certified Public Accountant Iris Shterk, a former president of the Israeli CPA Association, recommends that NGOs act promptly to utilize available resources and plan for extended assistance to address the lasting impacts of the conflict on Israeli society and infrastructure.