General Information
The registration of domain names containing Hebrew characters, such as איגוד-האינטרנט.org.il (ISOC-IL in Hebrew), has been available since December 26, 2010.
The registration of Hebrew domain names is an expansion of the existing domain name registration service and is subject to the registration rules.
To register a Hebrew domain name please contact one of ISOC-IL’s accredited registrars. Direct registration of Hebrew domain names through ISOC-IL’s website is not available.
How Hebrew Domain Names Work
Hebrew domain names are applied using the IDN (Internationalized Domain Names) suite of standards.
When a Hebrew domain name is typed in an IDN-aware browser (or another application), the domain name is automatically translated into a “traditional” domain name comprising of Latin characters, digits and hyphens. The translated domain name is resolved in the global Domain Name System (DNS). Most of modern browsers today support IDN.
Information on IDN at ICANN website (the international body managing the global DNS)
Around the world: Allocating IDN country code Top Level Domains (“Fast-Track”)
On November 16, 2009, ICANN launched the Fast Track process for the allocation of IDN country code Top Level Domains (“ccTLDs”).
The Fast-Track is intended for countries where non-Latin scripts are used in their respective national languages. In the Fast-Track, ccTLDs will be allocated in these languages for use by the local Internet community. The purpose of such allocation is to create domain names that are written entirely in one national language, without use of Latin letters, and by doing so help improve the local Internet community’s accessibility to the Internet.
ISOC-IL is currently leading the project for allocation of a Hebrew ccTLD for Israel.
Information about the Fast Track Program at the ICANN website
The opening of Hebrew domain name registration to the general public was done following the completion of a Sunrise Process in which a small number of Hebrew domain names identical to names of incorporated entities and to certain trademarks have been reserved.