A general power of attorney — in Hebrew, ייפוי כוח כללי — is a legal document that grants an authorized person almost unlimited powers to act on your behalf. According to Section 20 of the Israeli Notaries Law, a general power of attorney has no legal force unless it is notarized.
Attorney and notary Elena Gomelski (Tel Aviv) helps properly draft and prepare this serious document in order to protect your property and financial interests.
What powers does a general power of attorney grant?
By preparing a general power of attorney, you give your representative the right to manage all your property and act on your behalf before any authority. A standard document covers the following areas:
- Real estate transactions. Purchase, sale, rental of apartments and land plots, representation before the Land Registry (Tabu) and the Tax Authority (Mas Hachnasa).
- Financial actions. Opening and closing accounts, transferring funds, obtaining loans, and withdrawing cash.
- Government authorities. Representation before the Ministry of Interior (Misrad HaPnim), the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi), the police, and municipalities (Iriya).
- Court representation. The right to file lawsuits, enter into settlement agreements, and represent your interests before judicial bodies.
Validity period and cancellation procedure
Under Israeli law, the maximum validity period of a notarized power of attorney is 10 years, unless a shorter period is specified in the text of the document itself.
However, as the principal, you retain the absolute right to cancel the power of attorney at any time.
To do this, you must:
- Contact a notary, preferably the same one who prepared the original document.
- Prepare an official notarized notice of cancellation.
- Be sure to notify the authorized person of the cancellation of their powers by registered mail or courier, so that they stop acting on your behalf.
Hidden pitfalls: when does a general power of attorney not work?
Despite its “general” status, there are practical limitations in Israel that you should know about before visiting a notary:
- Specific requirements of Israeli banks. Most banks in Israel, including Leumi, Hapoalim, Discount, and others, refuse to accept a standard general power of attorney for account management. They require signing their own internal form in the presence of a bank employee or having that specific bank form notarized.
- Medical decisions. A general power of attorney does not grant the right to make decisions about your medical treatment or disconnection from life-support equipment. For this, a separate medical power of attorney or a “living will” is required.
Attorney’s advice: If you need to authorize a person to perform one specific action, for example, only to rent out an apartment, it is safer to prepare a special, purpose-specific notarial power of attorney in Israel (Types and Uses: How to Prepare a Notarial Power of Attorney in Israel). This minimizes the risks of fraud and abuse.
What is required to prepare the document in our office?
The preparation procedure at Elena Gomelski’s office in central Tel Aviv (Jaffa) takes minimal time. Only your personal presence and the following details are required:
| Required details | Explanation |
| Identity document | Your valid Teudat Zehut or foreign passport. A driver’s license is not accepted. |
| Details of the authorized person | Exact first name, last name, as written in the documents, and the Teudat Zehut number or passport number of the person to whom you are granting powers. |
| Presence of the representative | The personal presence of the authorized person at the notary’s office is not required. You can prepare the power of attorney yourself and give it to them later. |
Entrust the management of your affairs only to reliable people, and the preparation of documents to professionals. To prepare a general power of attorney that takes all legal nuances into account, contact the office of attorney and notary Elena Gomelski. Call 03-375-1178 or leave an online request on this page. We will arrange a convenient time for your visit.
