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Equality of Treatment (Social Security) Convention, 1962 (No. 118) - Israel (RATIFICATION: 1965)

Article 5 of the Convention. The Committee understands from the reply of the Government, received in July 2012, that under the current legislation and contrary to Article 5(1), Israel does not continue to pay benefits abroad for persons receiving old-age, survivors’ or employment injury pensions in Israel who move their residence to a country with which Israel has not signed a separate bilateral social security agreement to that end. The Committee wishes to point out in this respect that Convention No. 118 pursues precisely the objective of eliminating the need to conclude multiple bilateral Conventions between one member State, such as Israel, and each one of the other member States with respect to the obligations which they have jointly assumed under the Convention, by compelling them to take unilateral action to fulfil these obligations. By ratifying the Convention, Israel thus agreed under Article 5 to transfer abroad old-age, survivors’ or employment injury pensions due to its own nationals and to the nationals of the countries which have also accepted the corresponding branches of the Convention, irrespective of the country of their new place of residence and of the existence of bilateral agreements to that effect. The Committee therefore once again asks the Government to introduce the practical and legal arrangements necessary to give effect to the Convention on this point. The Committee requests that the Government provide information on such arrangements in its next report.

Article 6. Family benefit. In its previous comments, the Committee asked the Government to indicate whether family benefits are paid to Israeli residents (nationals and foreigners) inside Israel in respect of their children who reside abroad and whether this question is regulated in bilateral social security agreements concluded by Israel with other countries. In its report the Government states that family benefits are paid by the country in which the children reside, and that there are no double benefits. The Committee understands that the situation referred to by the Government relates to countries with which Israel has concluded bilateral social security agreements. The Government is therefore requested to indicate whether and how family benefits are provided in respect of children who reside in the country which has not concluded a bilateral agreement with Israel, but has also accepted the obligations of the Convention for the family benefit branch.