Gov't expected to push legislation enabling ongoing tracking of virus carriers

Without Knesset approval, Shin Bet security agency will not be able to continue with electronic surveillance beyond Tuesday

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to seek cabinet approval Monday for legislation to enable Israel’s internal security service to continue its controversial program to track the movements of coronavirus carriers through sensitive personal data.

The Shin Bet has been using cellphone and credit card usage information of confirmed carriers to track their past movements and locate potential infections.

The program was approved through emergency regulations in mid-March. But last week the High Court of Justice ruled that the practice could not continue beyond April 30 unless a legislative process was commenced to anchor the practice in law. However, the court granted the government the right to approve an extension of the tracking measures on condition that it begins the legislative process.

Following that decision, the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Thursday approved continuation of tracking by the Shin Bet until Tuesday at midnight, giving the government extra time to decide if it wants to legislate the program.

According to the reported terms of the proposal submitted Monday by Netanyahu, the health and justice ministries will prepare draft legislation by May 18 and in the meantime will request that the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee approve an additional six-week extension.

The Walla news site reported that Netanyahu discussed with ministers the potential of further legislation to allow tracking in the event of a future coronavirus wave or the outbreak of any other pandemic.

The tracking program uses data that is generally only permitted to be used for counterterrorism operations.

The government has said the Shin Bet has managed to locate hundreds of coronavirus cases by identifying people who have been in close proximity with confirmed carriers.