Attorney general defends mass surveillance measures that bypassed Knesset

Attorney General Avichay Mandelblit responds to the allegation that the government bypassed the Knesset by approving on its own mass surveillance of the Israeli public, saying that the decision to go ahead with the highly contentious measure without parliamentary oversight was made to “save lives.”

“Far-reaching measures must be taken — but even during these emergencies, steps will be taken by law,” Mandelblit says in a statement.

“The content to be collected will be the minimum required to prevent the spread of the virus and the Shin Bet security service is obliged to report its actions,” he explains.

— Raoul Wootliff