Israel Standard Time
Encyclopedia
Israel Standard Time is the standard time zone
in Israel
. It is two hours ahead of UTC (UTC+02:00).
's time zone (the same as Athens
), which is two hours later than Greenwich Mean Time
. The unique "Israel Standard Time" came into effect with the founding of the State of Israel
in 1948, which gave Israel the authority in determining its own time, specifically to enact daylight saving time.
(UTC+2), during most of the year, but since the Israeli daylight saving time period ends earlier in autumn, the Israeli time is identical to Central European Time
for between 2 and 7 weeks during these months. Also, because Israel switches to summer time on Friday, rather than Sunday as most other countries do, the change of time in spring occurs either 2 days before or 5 days after the switch to summer time in Europe.
Israel shares the UTC+2 timezone with all of its neighbouring countries, including Egypt
, Lebanon
, and Jordan
.
, locally called Israel Summer Time ( sh'on kayits, sometimes abbreviated in English as IDT).
According to the 2005 rule, at the last Friday before April 2, at 02:00, time is shifted one hour towards 03:00. At the last Sunday before 10th of Tishrei
(the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur
), at 02:00, time switches back to 01:00.
The earliest date for switching to DST is 26 March while the latest is 1 April. The earliest date for switching back to standard time is 8 September while the latest is 13 October. The total number of days varies between 163 and 198, 180 days in average.
Before this rule was enacted, the minister of the interior had the authority to decide on the start and end dates of Israel Summer Time. The length of summer time depended largely on the political affiliation of the minister in charge. Religious ministers often opted for an earlier switch back to standard time in autumn, claiming that summer time causes hardship for religious observers at this time of year.
Time zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. It is two hours ahead of UTC (UTC+02:00).
History
At the beginning of the British Mandate, the time zone of the mandate area (today's Israel and Jordan), was set to CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
's time zone (the same as Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
), which is two hours later than Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
. The unique "Israel Standard Time" came into effect with the founding of the State of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1948, which gave Israel the authority in determining its own time, specifically to enact daylight saving time.
Differences between other countries
The difference from UTC is the same as Eastern European TimeEastern European Time
Eastern European Time is one of the names of UTC+02:00 time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in some European countries that also use Eastern European Summer Time as a summer daylight saving time.- Usage :...
(UTC+2), during most of the year, but since the Israeli daylight saving time period ends earlier in autumn, the Israeli time is identical to Central European Time
Central European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
for between 2 and 7 weeks during these months. Also, because Israel switches to summer time on Friday, rather than Sunday as most other countries do, the change of time in spring occurs either 2 days before or 5 days after the switch to summer time in Europe.
Israel shares the UTC+2 timezone with all of its neighbouring countries, including Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
.
Daylight saving time
Israel observes daylight saving timeDaylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
, locally called Israel Summer Time ( sh'on kayits, sometimes abbreviated in English as IDT).
According to the 2005 rule, at the last Friday before April 2, at 02:00, time is shifted one hour towards 03:00. At the last Sunday before 10th of Tishrei
Tishrei
Tishrei or Tishri , Tiberian: ; from Akkadian "Beginning", from "To begin") is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian. It is an autumn month of 30 days...
(the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
), at 02:00, time switches back to 01:00.
The earliest date for switching to DST is 26 March while the latest is 1 April. The earliest date for switching back to standard time is 8 September while the latest is 13 October. The total number of days varies between 163 and 198, 180 days in average.
Before this rule was enacted, the minister of the interior had the authority to decide on the start and end dates of Israel Summer Time. The length of summer time depended largely on the political affiliation of the minister in charge. Religious ministers often opted for an earlier switch back to standard time in autumn, claiming that summer time causes hardship for religious observers at this time of year.