The Prime Minister's Office referred to the claims of a blue-and-white chairman about the way the emergency regulations allowing digital surveillance of Corona carriers were approved • Gantz: "We are in an exceptional period, but such steps must not be taken at an abduction and without supervision" • His colleague Gabi Ashkenazi also addressed the issue: "Inappropriate"

Prime Minister Netanyahu's office on Tuesday rejected the claims of members of the Blue and White list, including Chairman Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi, on how the emergency regulations allowing digital surveillance of corona carriers were approved. "An hour delay could have resulted in the deaths of many Israelis. , As happened in Italy and elsewhere in the world. "

Netanyahu also said: "After the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee debate was delayed and could continue for many days, Prime Minister Netanyahu acted quickly, together with the Ministry of Health and the Attorney General, to enable immediate use of digital tools that could slow the spread of the epidemic in Israel and save many civilians from dying. The decision was drafted by the USSR and the Ministry of Health and unanimously approved by the government. The decision is valid for 14 days, during which time the Foreign and Security Committee can comment on the use of the tool. "

Netanyahu and Kahlon declare: The economy is moving into an emergency format // Photo: Connect

As mentioned, Gantz attacked the way the decision was made, saying: "We are in an exceptional period where, unfortunately, exceptional measures are needed to save lives. However, this must not be done at a snatch and without supervision. White and blue will insist that the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee like A special committee on the subject of the Corona, the Finance Committee and other committees will also be set up today to oversee the processes and approve required regulations for this time.

"The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee must get all the information about the surveillance procedures approved today. This is the way in democracy. We will not allow the state to run without a functioning Knesset during an emergency."

As mentioned, his list member Gabi Ashkenazi also attacked the way the decision was made. "The government approved the emergency regulations at night last night, although the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee began discussing the matter yesterday - without being given the opportunity to seriously uphold and supplement it. It would not be appropriate to use this measure without parliamentary and public oversight.

"I call for the establishment of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today to convene an immediate discussion of the matter, and to exercise the oversight required by law."

Recall, at the end of a nocturnal meeting, the government unanimously approved a telephone government meeting, attended by legal counsel, for emergency regulations to operate the digital tools by the ISA to help combat the spread of the Corona virus.

Prime Minister Netanyahu convened a joint press conference with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon last night to address the issue, saying: "Emergency regulations will be approved for digital means to monitor and stop the spread of the virus. We discussed this for six hours, and asked to ensure strict monitoring of this tool - so that it is not used The tool will be used for 30 days, Israel is a democracy and we need to keep the balance, "Netanyahu reassured.

Chief of the General Security Service, Nadav Argman, referred to the government's decision: "The General Security Service responds to the request of the Health Ministry's professional echelon with national responsibility and understanding that we can help save lives of Israeli citizens. A reference was received by the Shin Bet after it became clear that other state authorities do not have the technological capabilities Required to assist in this effort. Following a preliminary inquiry from the GSS, it emerged that there was a series of discussions with the Department of Justice, chaired by the Attorney General, who gave his approval to integrate GSS technology capabilities into the national effort for life saving.

"The Shin Bet is aware that this is a preoccupation with its ongoing counterterrorism activities, so the request was discussed and approved by the USSR and the government has established regular monitoring and control mechanisms in the process."

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Argaman stressed: "As the head of the General Security Service, I would like to make it clear that the sensitivity of the matter is clear to me and therefore I have instructed that only a very limited group of service personnel will deal with the matter and that the information will not be kept in the ISA databases. In addition, the information will be provided directly to the Director General of the Ministry of Health or to the Head of Public Health, who will use the information only for the purpose of providing guidelines for saving lives. I would like to emphasize that the GSS will not at any stage enforce or supervise isolationists. The ISA's technological assistance requested to provide the Ministry of Health is for one purpose only - saving human lives.

"Assistance will be provided only as required for dealing with the spread of the epidemic and under clear and defined restrictions and restraints, which have been agreed with the country's top legal entities."

Attorney General Avihai Mandelblit defended the decision to approve the emergency regulations and wrote in his statement: "Among the many steps taken, the Israeli government today approved emergency regulations authorizing the General Security Service to use technology for the Ministry of Health to reduce Corona virus spread.



| This move, initiated by the Ministry of Health, was also borrowed from its inception by the government's legal advisers and personally. This is done with continuous discussion with the political echelon, the professionals in the Ministry of Health, the police and the General Security Service. A discourse whose purpose is to ensure that the measures taken are intended for the proper purpose, are not offensive as necessary, and a proper balance between the national interest in the protection of public peace and health and human rights, and in particular - the right to privacy. The purpose of the regulations is to save lives in an emergency. Literally, ”Mandelblit added.

The Israeli government is committed to taking steps to protect the right of its citizens and residents to life, which is the first constitutional right protected.



As we recall, in his speech last Saturday, Netanyahu addressed for the first time the possibility of using digital tools and technological means to monitor patients who violate isolation conditions. The announcement has elicited many comments from Knesset members and various organizations that claimed it was an extreme and far-reaching move.

In response to the statement, MK Nitzan Horowitz contacted Attorney General Mendelblit to prevent the measures being implemented, for which he commented that the matter would be reviewed, adding that "in the legal examination, it was decided to impose various restrictions on the measures that will be used, including aspects of their operating period, legal supervision of operation and use of information. Collected. This is in order to reach the right balance between the relevant important interests. The operation of the measures will be brought to the approval of the government and subsequently also to the approval of the relevant Knesset committee. "