The records-deletion law: exactly what is deleted, for whom, and why there is still no number

The Law for the Deletion of Criminal and Police Records of Ethiopian-Israelis, 5784–2024, passed the Knesset on 16 July 2024 and was published in the statute book (5784, p. 1094). We read the full text. Here is what it actually says — and what has not yet happened.

Who counts as "of Ethiopian origin" under the law

Section 1 defines it: a person born in Ethiopia, or with at least one parent born in Ethiopia. That is broader than the definition the Central Bureau of Statistics uses, which counts Israel-born people only where the father was born in Ethiopia.

What is deleted

Section 2(a) — criminal records. Criminal record entries for the "public order" offences listed in the schedule to the law, committed up to 31 December 2020, are deleted — where three conditions hold together:

no actual imprisonment was imposed for that offence;
there is no other criminal record entry whose limitation and deletion periods have not yet run;
there is no police record entry under section 27(a)(1)–(3) of the Criminal Information Law.

Section 2(b) — police records. Police record entries under section 27(a)(2) of the Criminal Information Law, for the same offences and the same period, are cancelled — if there is no other criminal or police record whose periods have not yet run.

Which offences

The schedule lists specific offence sections: sections 151–158, 216, 275, 287(a), 288, 288a and 382a(a) of the Penal Law; section 47(a) of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance; and section 79(1)(b) of the Police Ordinance. These are the riot, obstruction-of-an-officer and assault provisions under which files were opened en masse during the protest waves.

What is not in the schedule: offences outside that list. If your file was opened under a different offence, this law does not apply to it, and the general deletion route under the Criminal Information Law may be the relevant one instead.

The report the law requires — and what we found

Section 3 provides that Israel Police shall submit to the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, within six months of the law's commencement, a report on implementation and on the number of record entries deleted or cancelled under section 2, itemised by offence section.

We looked for that report — on the Knesset site, in Constitution Committee protocols, and in police publications. We did not find it published. We are saying so plainly rather than guessing at a number: we do not know how many records have actually been deleted, and we do not know whether the report was submitted and not published, or not submitted.

Two 2026 news reports quote officials invoking the law — the National Security Ministry listed it among its achievements (Ynet, 19 June 2026), and a police spokesperson referred to police support for the legislation (Walla, 6 January 2026) — but neither carried a figure for records deleted.

What this means for you

Deletion under the law does not depend on filing an application: the section is drafted as a deletion, not as a right to apply. But checking your actual status is on you, and it is worth doing before a job interview, enlistment, or a licence application.

First check whether the conditions apply to you on our criminal-record deletion page, which walks through the conditions as plain questions.
If your file was opened after 31 December 2020, this law does not cover it.

> This is general information and not legal advice. Your record status depends on data only the authorities can see. In a specific case, consult a lawyer or legal aid.