Israel will switch from daylight saving time to standard time on the night between Saturday and Sunday.
At 2:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, Israel's clocks will be turned back one hour to 1:00 a.m., giving Israelis an extra hour of sleep.
The change means the sun will rise earlier according to the clock, but it will also set earlier, bringing darkness earlier in the afternoon.
The transition takes place in accordance with Israel's Time Determination Law, which was amended in 2013 and stipulates that the country switches to standard time on the last Sunday of October. Daylight saving time will return on the last Friday of March 2027.
Dr. Oleg Popov, Head of Time and Frequency Measurements at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, explained that the purpose of the transition is not to give the public an additional hour of sleep, but to align daily activities with daylight hours.
During the summer, daylight saving time allows people to enjoy an additional hour of daylight in the evening. In winter, however, turning the clocks back allows many people to begin their day when it is already light outside.
The Economy Ministry also pointed to the relationship between the seasons and the body's biological clock: During winter, when daylight hours become shorter, the body's secretion of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, may change. Reduced exposure to daylight can cause some people to feel more tired and sleepy.
Serotonin, a chemical in the body involved in regulating mood, is also affected by mechanisms associated with light exposure. As a result, some people may experience a decline in mood during periods with less sunlight.
On most smartphones and computers, the switch to standard time takes place automatically, provided the device is set to update the time automatically and is configured for Israel's time zone.
Clocks that do not update automatically must be turned back one hour manually.