1. For domestic burial: Israeli law requires domestic burial of a body as soon as possible.
2. For shipment outside of Israel: A body is normally embalmed before shipment outside the country, but Israeli law does not specify a parameter of time.

A body is normally embalmed before shipment outside the country.  There are only three offices in Israel which embalm:

• The Israel Institute for Forensic Medicine
  (Official Israel agency under the Ministry of Health)
  67 Ben Zvi Blvd. Abu Kabir, Tel Aviv/Jaffa, Israel, 972-3-412-7844/5; 972-3-512-7851/2;

• Menucha LeAd
  (Run by Yeshayahu Kariv)
  2 Yagia Kapaim, Tel Aviv 67778; email: ies_ltd@012.net.il; landline: 972-3-687-2929; cell: 972-50-777-8804; fax: 972-3-687-4875

• Noam Embalming Agency
  (Private company run by Benny Noam)
  23 Moshe Dayan St
  Ramat Gan, (office) 972-3-574-3339/0, (cell) 972-57-770-8532.

Cremation is permissible under Israeli civil law.  There is one cremation facility in Israel:

Aley Shalechet
1-800-333-188
www.aleyshalechet.co.il

If you plan to transport remains to the United States, the U.S. Embassy can generally assist you in obtaining necessary shipping requirement compliance orders within 48 hours.

Caskets may be obtained by special order from:

Benny Noam
Tel: +972-3-574-3330/9
Cellular Phone: +972-57-770-8532

Yehezkel Gedalia
Tel: +972-8-928-2125 (H)
Cellular Phone: +972-52-277-0278

The office from which you order the casket will compile the documents that are required for shipment of remains, which include:

1. Death Certificate issued by the Ministry of Interior;

1. Statement from the embalmer;
2. Transit permit issued by the Ministry of Health stating that the remains are free of contagious diseases, and that there is no objection to exporting the remains from Israel.

Jewish Burial:

The Israeli National Insurance Organization covers the cost of the funeral for a person of the Jewish faith when the person is to be buried in Israel, regardless of citizenship.  This includes the preparation of the body, burial ceremony and local burial plot.  If the family wishes to choose a particular plot, however, the family must pay all expenses.  Private burial by the Jewish Burial Society (Hevra Kadisha), which includes a plot, gravesite preparation and funeral expenses, costs between $5,000 and $20,000, depending on plot location.  Every city has a Jewish Burial Society.

Muslim Burial:

The Israeli National Insurance Organization covers the cost of the funeral for a person of the Muslim faith who made regular Israeli National Insurance contributions.

For  a private burial, costs will include the plot, gravesite preparation, shroud, and offering for the sheik attending the funeral.  The U.S. Embassy can provide you with the current approximate costs.  The family of the deceased individual must make the burial arrangements.  For further details, contact Haj Samih Al Tukhi, Head of the Jaffa Mosque, Tel: 050-565-6249.

Protestant Burial: Contact Father Ibrahim Azar of the Lutheran Redeemer Church at +972-2-6276111 or +972-54-556-6947.

Roman Catholic Burial: Due to lack of space, burials plots are available to parish members only.  Contact Father Arturo Vazaturo at +972-3-6822-667.

Polish Catholic Burial: Contact Father Gregory at +972-3-6822-680.

Greek Orthodox Burial:  Due to lack of plots, only members of the community are eligible for burial.  Contact Father Damaskinos at 03-682-3451; Father Kostantine Nassar, at 052-318-7618; or the Office of Community Council at 03-682-3304.

In accordance with Israeli health regulations, remains may be disinterred after one year from the date of burial, provided that the Ministry of Health agrees.  Exhumation must be performed in the presence of a representative of the Israeli Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of Health, having given the necessary permission for exhumation of remains, must also obtain the consent of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel for exhumation of the remains of persons of the Jewish faith.  For exhumation of the remains of persons of the Muslim faith, the consent of the Islamic High Council is needed, and for exhumation of persons of the Christian faith a Church consent is required.  The Jewish Burial Society is responsible for exhumation of remains of individuals of the Jewish faith.  Remains that are to be shipped out of Israel may require embalming, depending on the stage of decomposition.

Israeli death certificates do not normally state the cause of death unless (1) the family makes a special request, (2) a specialist has performed an autopsy, or (3) the remains are to be shipped outside of Israel.

Autopsies in Israel are generally not performed unless they are (1) required by the Israeli National Police or another Israeli government office, or (2) the family has specifically requested an autopsy be performed.  The INP will normally order an autopsy in cases where the deceased died a violent or unnatural death.  Under circumstances where the INP requires an autopsy, the family is not obliged to pay the cost of the autopsy.  The INP must obtain permission from the next of kin when ordering an autopsy.  In cases where the INP requires an autopsy but the next of kin are opposed to an autopsy, the INP can request that the courts issue a court order that will enable an autopsy to be performed.