To view the press release as a file, click here

  • According to regulations that have been established, checks that have been refused due to insufficient cover during the Operation Rising Lion period will not be included in the list of checks that lead to the imposing of a restriction on the account on which they are drawn.
  • In addition, checks without cover during the Operation Rising Lion period will also be removed from the list of checks for sending a warning regarding five checks without cover and will not submit reports to the credit data system regarding warnings based on checks that were removed.

During the period of Operation Rising Lion, many businesses and households in Israel faced severe cash flow challenges, resulting in an inability to honor issued checks. Due to the distress experienced by Israel’s home front, it became necessary to introduce regulations that would set limitations on the Checks without Cover Law, 5741-1981, with the aim of reducing the adverse impact caused to bank customers. Specifically, these measures seek to prevent account restrictions or warning notices triggered by five refused checks, as well as negative credit reporting to the Credit Data System, to the extent they are based on checks that were returned during Operation Rising Lion.

Due to collaboration between the Ministry of Justice and the Bank of Israel, with the consent of the Minister of Finance and approval by the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, Minister of Justice Yariv Levin enacted regulations on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, under his authority pursuant to the Checks without Cover Law. These regulations stipulate that checks returned for insufficient funds between June 13 and June 30, 2025, will be permanently excluded from the count of dishonored checks for the purposes of the law.

  • Consequently, any restrictions imposed on accounts based on checks returned during this period will be lifted. In addition, no credit data system reports will be issued regarding warnings based on these excluded checks.

The relief measures apply broadly to all customers who issued checks within the banking system and will be implemented automatically, without the need for a specific request (though it is recommended to monitor and confirm that these checks have indeed been removed and that restrictions or warnings have been canceled accordingly).

It is important to note that the removal of checks from the count does not exempt the obligation to pay the beneficiary or eliminate other potential consequences of non-payment, such as enforcement proceedings initiated by the beneficiary through the Execution Office or impacts on the customer’s credit underwriting.

Supervisor of Banks Daniel Hahiashvili said, “I thank the Ministry of Justice for its collaboration and for advancing this important initiative. We must act to mitigate the economic deterioration of bank customers affected by the severe conditions during Operation Rising Lion, while supporting recovery through measures such as this relief framework”.

Deputy Attorney General (Civil Law) Adv. Carmit Yulis said, “I thank the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Finance, and the Chair of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee for promoting this essential step, which will provide relief and assistance to the general population, particularly those directly impacted by the difficult security situation during the “Rising Lion” period. Special thanks to the Bank of Israel for its important collaboration. I emphasize that the purpose of these regulations is to ease economic hardship in complex situations arising during wartime. We continue to work toward additional complementary solutions in the civil sphere.”

Link to view the Checks Without Cover Regulations:

https://www.nevo.co.il/law_html/law00/238548.htm