Israel Switches to Winter Time, Gaining an Hour of Sleep

The shift is governed by Israel's Time Determination Law, which mandates that winter time begins on the last Sunday of October and daylight saving time resumes on the Friday before the last Sunday of March. The current winter time period, which aligns Israel with the UTC+2 standard, is scheduled to remain in effect until March 26, 2027. The National Physics Laboratory at the Ministry of Economy and Industry maintains the national time standard using cesium atomic clocks.

While most smartphones, computers, and connected devices update automatically, manual adjustments are required for wall clocks, wristwatches, and older appliances. Users of "kosher" cell phones and devices without automatic updates were advised to adjust their settings manually. The transition also impacts Jewish prayer times, making the latest times for morning prayers and the Shema an hour earlier.

Debates persist regarding the seasonal clock changes. Proponents of year-round summer time argue it would benefit the economy, with the Manufacturers Association estimating annual savings of 440 million shekels, while Kipa reported that daylight saving time benefits the economy by over 300 million shekels. Conversely, sleep experts from Maariv advised gradual adjustments and morning light exposure to help the body's biological clock adapt to the change, noting that winter time is favored by sleep medicine professionals.