The Annual General Meeting in Israel

Sovereign body of the association

The General Meeting in Israel is a body that brings together all the members of the Association. Unless otherwise specified, it is considered the sovereign body of the association. As such, it it alone is competent to decide on the essential acts of the association and to decide on all matters for which the by-laws have not assigned specific competence to the other bodies of the association. The members of the Association are its founding members, as well as all those who have turned to the Association to become members, and who have been accepted as such by the body accredited under the Association's Articles of Association. (Generally the Management Committee or the General Meeting).

Who can become a member of an association in Israel?

In accordance with Article 15 Under Israel's Associations Law, anyone over the age of 17 can apply to become a member of an Association. In addition, any company, whether founded in Israel or abroad, may also apply for membership of an Association. A member may resign from an Association of his or her own free will, or on the death of the member, or pursuant to a decision taken by the Association in accordance with its by-laws.

Invitation to the Annual General Meeting

The deadline for sending out invitations to attend the Annual General Meeting is set out in the Association's Articles of Association. If this deadline has not been set in the bylaws, invitations must be sent out at least 10 days before the Annual General Meeting. The invitation must indicate the subjects to be discussed at the AGM.

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See also: What is an association in Israel?

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What powers does the Annual General Meeting have in Israel ?

In general, and unless otherwise provided in the Articles of Association conferring these powers on the Executive Committee, the General Meeting in Israel is competent to:

• Define the number of members who will sit on the Executive Committee;
• Choose the members of the Executive Committee and define their remuneration;
• Appoint the Chartered Accountant for associations required to appoint a Chartered Accountant, and define the amount of his or her fees;
• To hear the annual report, the financial report and, if applicable, the report(s) of the Chartered Accountant;
• Approve the financial statements for the year just ended and decide on the appropriation of earnings;
• Approve the draft budget prepared by the directors;
• To decide, where appropriate, on the exclusion of members of the association or the dismissal of its directors;
• Decide on essential acts concerning the association's assets, such as the purchase or sale of a building, the creation of a mortgage, the taking out of a loan, etc. ;
• Modify the association's bylaws, objectives or name;
• To dissolve or merge the association, or transform it into another form (e.g. a company).

How do you vote at a Shareholders' Meeting in France? Israel

As we said earlier, membership of an association is personal and cannot be transferred to a third party by sale or inheritance. The best way to vote at a General Meeting is by personal ballot, by show of hands or by technological means. In some cases, an individual's vote can be transferred by proxy to a third party. There are a number of formalities involved in accepting a proxy vote.

What to do in the event of a tie?

Sometimes, votes at a General Meeting in Israel are equal and cannot be broken down. In such cases, it is advisable to include a clause in the Association's by-laws giving a rule of conduct to be applied in such circumstances. According to the Example Statute - תקנון מצוי, which appears in the Associations Law, in the event that there are equal results at a General Meeting, the Chairman of the General Meeting is entitled to break the tie and decide the result. If the Association's Articles of Association do not define it otherwise, the above instructions will be applied, and in this case the Chairman of the General Meeting will be able to decide the outcome of the vote.