The debtor moved and left no address. A key witness has disappeared. The heir does not know they are an heir, or a former business partner has left the country. When an online search and directories are not enough, Israel Background traces people in Israel and abroad, and delivers a documented report that lets your matter move forward: serve documents, call a witness, collect a debt, or close a deal.
Who we work for
- Foreign law firms that need to find a defendant, debtor or witness in Israel.
- Creditors and collection agencies whose debtor has moved to Israel or disappeared within it.
- Estate administrators, probate lawyers and heirs who need to find heirs or relatives in Israel.
- Companies that need to reach a former partner, supplier or employee for proceedings or a transaction.
- Israeli law firms looking for a party who has moved abroad.
When tracing becomes complex
Most people can be found with a simple search. We step in when the simple search has already failed:
- People who do not want to be found. A debtor who keeps changing addresses, phone numbers and workplaces, and avoids any registration in their own name.
- People who have crossed borders. Someone who moved to Israel, or left it, sometimes without notice and sometimes more than once.
- People you know very little about. Only a name, a nickname, an old phone number or a photo.
- People you lost touch with years ago. An heir, a distant relative, or a witness to an old event.
- People using a different name. A legal name change, different spellings in Hebrew, English, Russian or Arabic, or a business identity that differs from the personal one. Transliteration alone often defeats international database searches.
Types of tracing
Debtor tracing
Locating the home address, workplace or business of a debtor who has disappeared, so that documents can be served and proceedings can continue. Where needed, the investigation continues into tracing their assets.
Witness tracing
Locating a witness who is hard to reach, so counsel can contact them or summon them to court.
Heir and relative tracing
Finding heirs in Israel and abroad, at the request of an estate administrator, a lawyer or family members, including genealogical research in public records in several countries.
Cross-border tracing
Finding a person who moved to Israel or left it, or a person abroad linked to a matter in Israel. Research in public registries and open sources in many jurisdictions, with local professionals where needed.
Business party tracing
Locating a former partner, shareholder, director or supplier who has disappeared, when they are needed for proceedings, winding up a company or a transaction.
Identification from partial details
When all you have is a name, a phone number, an online handle or a photo: connecting details from different sources until the person is positively identified.
Service of process after tracing
Tracing is often only the first step. Once the person is found, we can complete the next one: service of court documents and legal papers in Israel, with a detailed affidavit of service that meets the court's requirements. Your counsel receives both the address and the service from one provider.
What a licensed investigator may and may not do
A licensed private investigator in Israel may:
- Research open sources and public registries in Israel and abroad.
- Conduct lawful observation and field work to verify an address.
- Speak with neighbors, acquaintances and people willing to provide information.
- Connect details from different sources until the person is positively identified.
A licensed private investigator may not:
- Obtain information from the Israeli Population Registry, telecom companies, banks or closed government databases.
- Locate a phone by its position.
- Access a person's accounts or devices.
- Impersonate an official to obtain information.
On the Population Registry address: in some cases, a creditor in enforcement proceedings can request the debtor's registered address through the Israeli Execution Office. But the registered address is not always where the person actually lives, so it often needs to be verified on the ground.
Responsible tracing: when we say no
Locating a person is a powerful tool, so we review every request before we begin.
- We trace people only for a legitimate purpose: legal proceedings, debt collection, an estate, a transaction, or reconnecting family members where the other side can be expected to welcome it.
- We do not trace people for anyone who may harm them, and we do not release the address of a person when there are signs they are hiding from someone to protect themselves.
- We do not track spouses or partners, and we do not take on personal tracing requests of that kind.
When in doubt, we decline. That is part of why lawyers trust us.
How the engagement works
- 01Confidential first call
We learn who you are looking for, why, and what is already known: names in every spelling, old addresses, phone numbers, workplaces, connections.
- 02Purpose check, scope and budget
We confirm there is a legitimate purpose, and agree in advance on what will be researched and what it will cost.
- 03Research
Open sources, public registries in Israel and abroad, and connecting details across sources and languages.
- 04Verification on the ground
Confirming that the person is actually at the address found, not only registered there.
- 05Documented report
The address or details found, how they were found, and the level of certainty. Delivered in English.
- 06Next step, where needed
Service of process, an affidavit of service, or continuing into asset tracing.
What you receive
- The address or location found, with the level of certainty stated.
- Verification on the ground, where needed and possible.
- Documentation of how the person was found, so it can be presented to the court if required.
- Additional details that came up, such as a workplace or business, where relevant to the purpose.
- Options to continue: service of process, an affidavit of service, or asset tracing.
Why Israel Background
- Licensed by the Israeli Ministry of Justice. License number: 100209001
- Tracing with verification. We do not settle for a registered address. We confirm the person is actually there.
- Built to work with counsel. We know what is needed for the tracing and the service to stand up in an Israeli court.
- Names in every spelling. Five working languages: English, Hebrew, Russian, Arabic and French. We search names as they are actually written in each.
- Absolute discretion. The person does not know they are being looked for. Client identity and case details are kept confidential, and all materials are deleted on request.
Frequently asked questions
Can you find someone in Israel from their name alone?
Sometimes, but not through a single database. The Israeli Population Registry is closed to private investigators, and public sources often hold partial or outdated information. Real tracing combines several sources and field work. The more you can give us, such as full name in any spelling, date of birth, Israeli ID number, old address or workplace, the faster the search.
Why do international database searches often fail for Israel?
Most Israeli records are in Hebrew, and the same name can be transliterated into English in many ways. Many people also have a Hebrew name, an English name, and sometimes a Russian or Arabic one. A local investigator searches the original records in the original language.
Can you locate someone by their phone number?
We can try to identify who a number belongs to from open sources, but a private investigator cannot obtain information from telecom companies or locate a phone by its position.
Can you also serve the documents once the person is found?
Yes. We can serve court documents and legal papers in Israel, and provide a detailed affidavit of service. Your Israeli counsel will advise on the rules that apply to your type of proceeding.
How long does tracing take?
It depends on how much you know and how hard the person is trying not to be found. Someone who simply moved can be found quickly. Someone who is hiding or has left the country takes longer. In the first call we tell you what to expect.
What if you do not find the person?
We do not promise results that cannot be promised. What we do: agree on the scope and fee in advance, and report everything that was checked, including what was ruled out. Such a report can still help counsel, for example in an application to the court to allow substituted service.
Will the person know they were being looked for?
No. The tracing is carried out discreetly, without contacting the person and without revealing the client's identity.
Do you trace spouses or people for personal reasons?
No. We trace people only for a legitimate purpose, such as legal proceedings, collection, an estate or a transaction. We do not track spouses or partners, and we decline any request where there is a risk of harm to the person being looked for.
How much does it cost?
The fee is set according to the scope of the tracing and agreed in advance, before any work begins. In the first call, at no cost, we tell you what can be checked and what it will cost.
Start with a confidential conversation
Need to find a debtor, witness, heir or counterparty in Israel? Tell us who you are looking for and what you already know. In the first call, with no obligation, we will tell you what can be checked, how long it will take and what it will cost.
The information on this page is general and is not legal advice. Every matter is assessed on its own facts.