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[bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>]

Israel is a sophisticated country.  I don't like the fact that this can be 
done to an entire country, and, I would have thought Israelis would have been 
the last people on earth to want something last this.  Watch for UK next, 
then talk here ....bobford


------------------------------------------------------------------------

 1984? 

 
 Biometric database bill passes first vote 


Knesset okays controversial biometrics bill, turns it over to Constitution, 
Law and Justice Committee for further legislation. If passed, will compel 
citizens to make fingerprints available to government, or risk jail 

Erez Ronen Published:  10.29.08, 18:14 / Israel News  




The biometric database bill passed its first Knesset reading on Wednesday, 
with 18 Knesset members voting in favor and only MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) 
voting against it. 


 
 
The bill now stands to undergo further legislative work in the Knesset's 
Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. 

 

The bill, brought before the House by the Ministry of the Interior, proposes 
Israel make the switch to "smart" identification methods, using fingerprints 
and digital photographs on documents such as identification cards and 
passports. 

 

The bill, which passed its preliminary reading in August, also spells out the 
guidelines for the formation of a biometric database of all of Israel's 
residents. 

 

The bill's foremost goal it to tackle forgeries: "The advantage of using 
biometric features in order to ascertain someone's identify stems from the 
fact that biometric information in constantly 'on' your person, as opposed to 
other types of identification measures, which may be subject to alterations 
and a limited ability to detect forgeries," said the brief. 

 

Another notion promoted by the bill is the electronic signature clause, which 
would allow citizens to complete various procedures involving government 
bureaus via the internet, rather then having to personally appear before a 
government clerk. 

 

Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit told his colleagues that the bill has been 
more than a year in the making, by a team of technological and legal experts. 
Sheetrit warned that at present time there are an estimated 350,000 forged ID 
cards in Israel. 

 

Gross invasion of privacy? 

Should the bill pass its second the third readings, it would be up to the 
Ministry of Interior to begin putting the database together. One of the 
guidelines stipulates that citizens refusing to give biometric samples could 
face up to one year in jail; but the proposal makes no provisions as to how 
the database would be compiled. 

 

The biometric database – which is already the center of vast public criticism 
– would also be at the police and armed forces' disposal, as means of 
identifying persons of interest. Such use of the database, however, would 
require a court order. 

 

The motion has already been slammed as detrimental to civil rights: "Forming 
such a database would harm the citizens' basic, constitutional right to 
privacy in two ways: It would be at constant risk of being hacked into by 
hostile elements and allowing law enforcement agencies access to it would 
make potential criminals out of every law-abiding citizen," Attorney Dan 
Chai, of the Israeli Bar Association, said in August. 

 

The amended bill which was brought before the Knesset addressed some of the 
criticism aimed at it, mostly be detailing the specific procedures those 
using it would have to abide by. 




Detrimental to civil right? (Illustration: Index Open) 

 

The new brief acknowledged the fact that biometric databases are not used by 
Western countries, claiming that after reviewing the alternatives, ministry 
found it to be the most effective way to combat forgeries. It also calls for 
appointing a State official tasked with monitoring the database is properly 
used. 

 

'Forgeries a nationwide infliction' 
MK Dov Khenin, who voted against the bill, said that while he supports 
introducing biometric documents, the database is redundant: "We would be the 
first Western county to have one, despite the fact that even the Ministry of 
Interior doesn’t deem it necessary to stop forgeries," he said. 

 

The bill constitutes a violation of civil rights, added Khenin and urged his 
fellow MKs to review it yet again. 

MK Arieh Eldad (National Union-National Religious Party) called on his peers 
to fight what he called "a nationwide infliction," adding that as far as he 
knew, "those opposing the bill more mostly crooks and felons." 

 

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Minister Sheetrit took the floor to address MK Khenin's concerns, saying that 
the bill has been delayed time and again because of its innate sensibilities. 
Sheetrit stressed the future database's contribution to the prevention of 
identify theft, adding that "the entire world is going biometric." 

 

"The proposed bill wishes to anchor the use of the database, as well as 
detail the provisions made to protect (the citizens') privacy… forming such a 
database will not constitute any harm to civil rights," concluded the brief; 
further noting that the State would provide adequate measures to guard the 
highly sensitive database, but failing to detail their nature. 

 

Ehud Kenan and Amnon Meranda contributed to this report 
 
 
 



http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3614965,00.html