blog.cat.rights6 min read9/13/2026

Threats via WhatsApp or at the Door: How to Obtain an Urgent Court Order in Israel

Messages containing threats, waiting at the entrance to the building, stalking, and persistent calls may constitute grounds for issuing an order to prevent threatening harassment. The application is filed in person and free of charge, and when immediate protection is needed, the judge may issue a temporary decision in the absence of the other party.

Numbers and facts

•0 shekels — court fee for filing the application
•08:30–13:30 — regular public reception hours
•Up to 7 days — hearing in the presence of both parties
•Up to 6 months — ordinary duration of the order
•Up to two years — duration when special reasons exist
•7 days before — deadline for filing an extension application

Not Only a Direct Threat of Assault

Under the Prevention of Threatening Harassment Law, 2001, the significance is not limited to a specific phrase containing a threat. The grounds may be conduct that raises concern that the person will again disturb the applicant’s peace, privacy, or liberty, or cause the applicant bodily harm. Such acts include stalking, waiting near the home, threatening the applicant, oneself, or a third party, damaging property, and restricting freedom of movement. The harassment may be direct or indirect, explicit or implicit; therefore, a series of WhatsApp messages is assessed not only on the basis of isolated words, but also according to the sequence of events described.

What Should Be Preserved Before Going to Court

All materials proving the facts stated in the application should be attached, such as a complaint filed with the police, a medical report, photographs, and other documents. In the case of threats via WhatsApp, it is important in practice to preserve the correspondence in a way that shows the sender, dates, times, and sequence of messages, rather than only a single excerpted phrase. If the person came to the door, photographs and documents that make it possible to connect that incident to other communications or threats are useful. It is preferable to present the events in the application by date and separately explain the reason for fearing their recurrence, since the risk of continued disturbance of peace, privacy, liberty, or bodily safety is what matters under the law.

Where to Go and What to Bring

The application is usually filed in person with the registry of the Magistrate’s Court near the applicant’s place of residence or the place where the applicant is currently located. If the person suspected of harassment is a family member, an application may also be made to the Family Court; if the person is a minor, an application may also be made to the Juvenile Court. The official form must be completed in full, including the affidavit signed before an authorized court employee, and a valid identity card or passport must be presented. Filing the application does not require a lawyer and costs 0 shekels; the initial urgent application is not filed through the Net HaMishpat system, although after the case is opened, decisions may be tracked and documents submitted through it.

What to Do After the Registry Closes

The courts’ regular public reception hours are from 08:30 to 13:30. If public reception has ended but it is not yet 17:00, the Courts Administration Information and Service Center should be contacted to inquire about the urgent filing procedure. From 17:00 onward, applicants should go to the courts’ on-call center. Government guidance recommends filing the application as soon as possible after the threatening incident, rather than waiting for additional incidents to accumulate.

When an Order Is Issued in the Other Party’s Absence and What It Prohibits

A judge may issue the order in the applicant’s presence alone if the judge considers this necessary to protect the applicant’s safety immediately; such a decision may also be issued when the other party was duly summoned but did not appear. The order may prohibit threats and any contact, harassment and surveillance, and approaching within a specified distance of the applicant’s home, vehicle, workplace, place of study, or any other place the applicant regularly visits. The court may also prohibit carrying or possessing weapons, including weapons issued by a state security body or another authority. If the temporary order is issued in the other party’s absence, a hearing in the presence of both parties must be held as soon as possible and no later than 7 days; afterward, the terms may be modified or clarified.

Period of Validity: The Temporary Order Is Not the End

As a general rule, an order to prevent threatening harassment remains in effect for no more than 6 months. The court may extend it to one year and, when special reasons exist, to two years. An extension application must be filed no later than 7 days before the existing order expires. This proceeding should not be confused with the separate protection order in cases of domestic violence, which is subject to different initial deadlines and conditions, although both proceedings may be appropriate in circumstances where the threat comes from a relative.

FAQ

Can a restraining order be obtained solely because of WhatsApp messages?

Yes, if the content of the messages and their circumstances indicate threatening harassment and a risk that it will continue. The threat may be direct or implicit, so sequential correspondence showing the dates and sender details should be attached to the application.

Must a complaint be filed with the police first?

The official guidance lists a complaint filed with the police as one of the possible evidentiary documents, but it does not make it a mandatory condition for applying to the court. Any available materials supporting the stated facts should be attached.

Is a lawyer required, and how much does the application cost?

Representation by a lawyer is not mandatory. No court fee is charged for the application, meaning that filing it costs 0 shekels; applicants who meet the criteria may inquire about urgent initial assistance and representation at the courts’ legal aid centers.

Will the respondent be notified before an urgent restraining order is issued?

Not necessarily; when immediate protection is needed, the judge may consider the application in the applicant’s presence alone. A hearing in the presence of both parties is then scheduled as soon as possible, no later than 7 days after the temporary order is issued.

Can the person be prohibited from sending messages and approaching the home?

Yes. The court may prohibit any contact, including written contact, and specify a distance from the home, vehicle, workplace, educational institution, or any other place the applicant regularly visits; the judge determines the precise restrictions.

What to do next

Preserve the correspondence and other evidence, prepare a chronological sequence of events, complete the official form, and bring a valid identity document. The application is filed in person with the competent court; if the registry is closed, inquire about the urgent application procedure through the Information Center and, after 17:00, through the courts’ on-call center. After the order is issued, check the date of the joint hearing and the date on which the order expires.