It’s time to put an end to the Israeli government’s complete disregard for animal welfare.
We will establish a National Animal Protection Authority under the Ministry of Environmental Protection, free of conflicts of interest and with genuine oversight and enforcement that protects animals on the streets, on farms and in the wild.
What's the problem?
Authority relating to animals is scattered across different government ministries and no one takes full responsibility. Only NIS 15 million a year is allocated to animal welfare and most of it is not used effectively. There are not enough spaying and neutering programs for cats. Too few indictments are filed against people who abuse animals. There is no organized plan to reduce the population of stray dogs and dozens of dogs are euthanized every year. Facilities that keep animals are inadequately supervised.
Enforcement is virtually nonexistent. Since 2023, no fines or indictments have been issued against farms, and out of thousands of reports, only five administrative fines were imposed in 2025. Only one out of every nine complaints submitted to the Central Enforcement and Investigations Unit is actually referred for investigation, and most cases are closed without legal proceedings. There are no organized action plans, no adequate oversight of facilities that keep animals, and insufficient consideration is given to animals in planning and construction processes.
This happens because the regulator has an inherent conflict of interest: the Ministry of Agriculture, whose primary role is to promote animal-based food industries, is also responsible for regulating and restricting those same industries.
What's the solution?
We will establish an independent National Animal Protection Authority under the Ministry of Environmental Protection. We will increase staffing and budgets and plan responsibly for the years ahead, based on research and practical experience in the field.
The Authority will consolidate all the budgets and powers that are currently scattered among different bodies, and will operate according to a professional, measurable work plan covering all types of animals: animals on the streets, farm animals, and in the wild.
How will you know we've succeeded?
The Enforcement Test
Indictments will be filed and administrative fines will actually be imposed on farms and breeders that violate the law.
More Adoptions, Fewer Euthanizations
The euthanization of healthy, adoptable dogs will begin to decline significantly, with the goal of eliminating it entirely, and the amount of time dogs spend in municipal kennels will be significantly reduced.
Fewer Stray Cats
The number of stray cats and dogs will decline, and we will meet a target of 75% of all stray cats being spayed or neutered, reducing uncontrolled reproduction.
B'Yachad's plan to protect animals
01
Establish an Independent National Authority Under the Ministry of Environmental Protection
We will transfer key powers from the Ministry of Agriculture, which currently has an inherent conflict of interest, to an independent statutory authority modeled on the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. The new authority will consolidate budgets and powers that are currently scattered among different government ministries, eliminating duplication and unnecessary bureaucracy.
02
Develop a National Plan for Managing Dog and Cat Populations
We will transition to a centralized digital registry that places responsibility on owners. We will also introduce a differential licensing-fee system, with an exemption for spayed and neutered dogs, and adopt the “trap-neuter-vaccinate-return” method for community dogs.
In addition, we will pass legislation prohibiting the breeding, advertising, and sale of dogs. For cats, we will concentrate funding on intensive spay-and-neuter campaigns and establish a regulated framework for cooperation with recognized, trained community-cat feeders.
03
Close Regulatory Gaps on Farms and Protect Wildlife
We will reduce the use of battery cages and transition to cage-free aviary systems, reduce live animal shipments by at least 50%, and replace the shooting and lethal culling of wildlife with preventive measures: sanitation, smart fencing, ecological corridors, and alternative sources of food and water.
04
Increase Funding for Animal Welfare
NIS 15.6 million is allocated for these purposes today, but this funding is scattered among different government ministries without adequate oversight. Consolidating these resources, together with additional funding being allocated, will be sufficient to establish a fully functioning authority.
For example, this additional expenditure will be partially offset by increased enforcement and administrative fines, and in the future the Authority will be able, to a significant extent, to finance its own operations.
05
Put an End to Animal Abuse
We will pass legislation to increase penalties and establish minimum sentences for animal abuse, increase fines for prohibited conduct toward animals, work to increase staffing within the Israel Police for enforcement of the Animal Welfare Law, and implement culturally-adapted education and public awareness programs aimed at reducing abusive behavior toward animals.
The Animal Protection Authority will work to safeguard the welfare of farm animals, wildlife, pets, and animals living on the streets in Israel, and will serve as the central body responsible for coordinating policy, oversight, and enforcement.
