Israel Government API

Step 1: Understand the Data Need

Ask the user:

• What topic? (transportation, health, education, economy, etc.)
• What geography? (national, specific city/region, specific address)
• What time period? (current, historical, time series)
• What format? (raw data, summary statistics, visualization)

Step 2: Search for Datasets

Use the data.gov.il CKAN API to find relevant datasets:

Search by keyword:

GET https://data.gov.il/api/3/action/package_search?q=KEYWORD&rows=10

Search by organization (ministry):

GET https://data.gov.il/api/3/action/package_search?fq=organization:MINISTRY_ID

Common organization IDs:

Step 3: Retrieve and Query Data

Once a dataset is found:

Get dataset details:

GET https://data.gov.il/api/3/action/package_show?id=DATASET_ID

Query tabular data (datastore):

GET https://data.gov.il/api/3/action/datastore_search?resource_id=RESOURCE_ID&limit=100

SQL-like queries (powerful):

GET https://data.gov.il/api/3/action/datastore_search_sql?sql=SELECT * FROM "RESOURCE_ID" WHERE field = 'value' LIMIT 100

Tips:

• Field names are often in Hebrew -- use datastore_search with limit=1 first to see field names
• Large datasets: use limit and offset for pagination
• Date fields may be in various formats -- check dataset documentation

Step 4: Analyze and Present

For the retrieved data:

1. Summarize key findings in plain language
2. Calculate basic statistics if requested (mean, median, trends)
3. Suggest visualizations (bar chart, line graph, map) appropriate to the data
4. Note data freshness (last update date) and any caveats
5. Provide the direct link to the dataset on data.gov.il for reference

Step 5: Cross-Reference (Advanced)

When combining multiple datasets:

1. Identify common keys (city code, date, category code)
2. Use Israeli administrative codes (CBS city codes) for geographic joins
3. Note that field names across datasets may differ -- match by content not name
4. Document data lineage: which datasets contributed to the analysis

Example 1: Find School Data

User says: "I need data about schools in Tel Aviv" Actions:

1. Search: package_search?q=schools+tel+aviv
2. Find education dataset, get resource ID
3. Query: Filter by city code for Tel Aviv (5000)
4. Present: School count, types, sizes Result: Structured school data for Tel Aviv

Example 2: Analyze Housing Prices

User says: "Show me housing price trends in Haifa" Actions:

1. Find Tax Authority real estate transactions dataset
2. Filter by Haifa city code, last 12 months
3. Calculate median price per square meter by month
4. Present trend with percentage change Result: Monthly price trend for Haifa with analysis

Example 3: Municipal Data Comparison

User says: "Compare education spending across Israeli cities" Actions:

1. Search for municipal budget datasets
2. Filter by education category
3. Normalize per capita
4. Present comparison table Result: Ranked comparison of education spending per student across major Israeli municipalities with data source and year.

Scripts

• scripts/query_datagov.py — Search datasets, inspect resources, and run SQL/datastore queries against the data.gov.il CKAN API directly from the command line. Supports subcommands: search, dataset, query, sql, orgs. Run: python scripts/query_datagov.py --help

References

• references/ckan-api-reference.md — Complete endpoint catalog for the data.gov.il CKAN API including search parameters, datastore query syntax, SQL capabilities, and common organization IDs. Consult when constructing API calls or debugging query syntax.

Error: "Dataset not found"

Cause: Search terms too specific or in wrong language Solution: Try broader Hebrew keywords. Government data is primarily in Hebrew.

Error: "Datastore not available"

Cause: Not all resources have the datastore (queryable) API enabled Solution: Download the CSV/Excel resource directly and process locally.

Error: "Hebrew field names"

Cause: Most government datasets have Hebrew column names Solution: First query with limit=1 to see all field names, then construct targeted queries.