Quick use: this page defines the Hebrew and technical terms you meet when you buy, finance, or check an Israeli property, grouped by where they come up. Each term gets one plain line. Where a term has its own deep guide in this hub, the term links to it. For the full picture start at the Israel real estate investment hub.
By the Semerenko Group research desk. Last updated 15 June 2026. Confirm tax and legal figures with a licensed professional before acting.
Title and land registry
- Tabu: the national land registry where ownership is recorded. See due diligence.
- Nesach Tabu: the title extract that shows the owner, mortgages, liens, and any warning note.
- Gush, Chelka, Tat-Chelka: the block, parcel, and sub-parcel numbers that identify a property.
- He’arat Azhara: a warning note registered on title that protects a buyer between signing and full registration.
- ILA (Rami), Israel Land Authority: the public-land manager. Check the actual ownership or lease right, register and transfer restrictions; an ILA-managed lease is not the same thing as private freehold.
- Chevra Meshakenet: a housing company that holds registration for some older buildings before title moves into Tabu.
Planning and urban renewal
- TAMA 38: the national seismic-renewal framework whose expiry, local extensions and replacement arrangements require checking the actual area and application. See the TAMA 38 guide.
- Pinui Binui: demolition-and-rebuilding renewal. Owner-consent thresholds, any claim concerning refusal and the court’s remedies have separate conditions; a percentage alone does not authorise overriding an owner.
- Dayar Sarvan (דייר סרבן): a refusing owner, one who will not sell their rights for a Pinui Binui deal, or attaches unreasonable conditions, after the legal special majority of owners has agreed. A court that finds the refusal unreasonable can hold the owner liable in damages to the other owners or appoint a lawyer or accountant to sign in their place.
- Heskem Irgun (הסכם ארגון): an organising agreement that commits owners to an organiser exclusively for a limited period, before any deal with a developer. It is not the Pinui Binui or TAMA 38 deal itself, and the Urban Renewal (Agreements for Organising Transactions) Law, 2017 limits how long it lasts according to how many owners sign and how the project moves.
- Taba (תב”ע): a detailed plan, the legally binding document that sets land uses, building rights, the number of floors, site coverage and building lines for an area. Building under it still needs a permit.
- Standard 21 (תקן 21): the appraisers’ standard for testing whether a Pinui Binui project pays. It counts the project costs, the cost of looking after the residents (guarantees, rent during construction, their advisers, a building maintenance fund) and the developer’s income from the added flats, against minimum profit rates the Government Appraiser sets by region.
- Tofes 4 (Form 4): the occupancy permit that lets you legally move into a new build.
- Hetel Hashbacha: betterment levy, normally 50% of the value uplift from a planning change. See taxes.
For the rest of the renewal vocabulary, and what each document means at each stage, see our urban renewal guide for owners. Definitions in this section follow the Government Authority for Urban Renewal glossary and questions and answers (updated 6 October 2026), checked 29 October 2026.
Taxes
- Mas Rechisha: purchase tax, paid by the buyer. Most foreign and investor buyers pay 8% up to 6,055,070 NIS and 10% above. See Israel real estate taxes.
- Mas Shevach: tax on a property-sale gain. The applicable computation and rate depend on the seller, property, acquisition history, sale date, deductions and any exemption; it is not one fixed percentage on every sale.
- Ma’am: value-added tax. Check whether the actual transaction is taxable, the applicable tax point and the VAT-inclusive contractual price. See VAT on Israeli property.
- Arnona: municipal property tax charged to the legally liable holder. Possession dates, lease length, written notices and municipal records matter; contract reimbursement and municipal liability are separate questions.
As of the Israel Tax Authority notice of 12 October 2026, this schedule is a temporary provision. It applies to a home that is not the buyer’s only home, and to any home bought by someone who is not an Israeli-resident individual, for purchases made up to and including 10 February 2027. The rates for later purchases can change, so check the current schedule.
Financing and money
- Mashkanta: a mortgage. See financing and mortgages.
- Prime: the bank prime rate, set at the Bank of Israel rate plus 1.5%.
- Madad: the consumer price index that CPI-linked loans and some contracts track.
- LTV (loan to value): the share a bank will lend. Caps are 75% for a first home, 70% for a replacement home, and 50% for an investor or additional property.
Parties, documents, and the apartment
- Zichron Devarim: a short preliminary memo that can legally bind you. Do not sign one casually. See the buying process.
- Vaad Bayit: the building committee that collects monthly fees and manages shared areas. See due diligence.
- Bedek Bayit: the engineer inspection of a property before you buy.
- Mamad: the reinforced safe room required in newer apartments.
- Shamai: a licensed appraiser whose valuation the bank relies on.
Market data sources
- Nadlan.gov.il: the Tax Authority database of recorded transaction prices.
- CBS (Lamas): the Central Bureau of Statistics, for prices, starts, and inventory.
- Bank of Israel: for the policy rate, inflation, and mortgage rules.
- GovMap: the national map for zoning and planning. See how to use these on evaluating a deal.
Common questions
Why are so many property terms in Hebrew?
The registry, tax, and planning systems all run in Hebrew, so the legal documents you sign use these exact words. Knowing them helps you read a title extract or a contract without guessing.
Which terms matter most for a foreign buyer?
Tabu and Nesach Tabu (what you own), Mas Rechisha (what you pay to buy), LTV (what a bank will lend), and Zichron Devarim (what can bind you early). Start there.
Next step: pick the topic you need and open its guide from the investment hub.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice; confirm with a licensed professional.
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