Penal Law, 5737-1977.

This Penal Law, comprising 504 articles, is a comprehensive criminal code, which is divided into two primary parts: General Provisions and Offences. The Law defines key legal principles, criminal responsibility, jurisdiction, participation in crimes, and sentencing rules. It also establishes specific criminal offences, including crimes against state security, public order, the administration of justice, individuals, property, and public morality, along with the corresponding penalties.
The Law includes, under Chapter Eight, Article Eleven (Nuisances), provisions addressing environmental issues, pollution, and public health nuisances. It defines public nuisance as any unauthorized act or omission that causes harm, danger, annoyance, or obstruction to the public (Section 215). In addition, it prohibits acts committed willfully or negligently that are likely to spread life-threatening or dangerous diseases (Section 218). Additionally, under Chapter Eleven, Article Nine (Injury to Property) and Chapter Thirteen (Minor Offences), the Law protects cultivated land and agricultural areas. Section 448 criminalizes the willful and unlawful destruction of vegetation by fire, including cultivated crops, standing trees, saplings, and shrubs. Section 494 prohibits unlawful entry into agricultural land, including allowing animals to enter gardens, pasture areas, or cultivated fields and cause damage.
Israel's Criminal Law contains several provisions aimed at protecting animal welfare and preventing cruelty. Section 495 criminalizes acts of cruelty against animals, including beating, overloading, torturing, or otherwise ill-treating tame, domestic, or confined wild animals, as well as using animals that are unfit for work because of age, illness, injury, or infirmity. Section 451 prohibits the willful and unlawful killing, injuring, wounding, or poisoning of animals. In addition, Section 351 strictly prohibits sexual acts involving animals under the provisions relating to offences against nature.
Concerning water resources, the Penal Law includes specific criminal provisions designed to protect them from pollution, unlawful diversion, and damage to infrastructure. Section 221 criminalizes the corruption or pollution of water from any spring, well, tank, reservoir, or other source used, or likely to be used, for public supply or drinking purposes, where such conduct renders the water less fit for its ordinary use. Section 400(b) prohibits the fraudulent abstraction or diversion of running water belonging to another person for one’s own use or for the use of others. In addition, Section 453 establishes penalties for the malicious or unlawful destruction or damage of water-related infrastructure, including wells, water bores, dams, embankments, walls, and floodgates associated with water resources.
The Penal Law also contains specific criminal provisions aimed at protecting food and drink quality, to prevent public health hazards, food adulteration, and unsanitary commercial practices. Under Chapter Eight, Article Eleven (Nuisances), these provisions are set out primarily in Sections 219 and 220. Section 219 criminalizes the sale or possession for sale of any food or drink that has been rendered noxious or unfit for human consumption, where the seller knows or has reason to believe it is unfit. It also criminalizes the adulteration of any food or drink with the intention of making it noxious or knowing that it is likely to be sold for human consumption. Section 220 addresses public health and sanitation standards in the food sector, imposing criminal liability on food and drink retailers, as well as operators of hotels, lodging houses, restaurants, and other establishments serving food for on-site consumption, who fail to maintain cleanliness or violate applicable public health regulations. Upon conviction, the court is empowered to order the destruction of any food or drink deemed unfit for consumption.