Transportaion Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed the nation on social media on Tuesday and said that he objected at first to allowing the Shin Bet to monitor Israelis' location using their phones as “it really is a slippery slope” but he eventually changed his mind, seeing that the procedure has “many oversights including criminal charges should anyone use this information for other things.”
“For me human rights and privacy are very important,” he said, “but this is a must.”
Smotrich also addressed the ongoing impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the Israeli economy and said that while nobody is interested in “throwing away your money on ineffective companies” there is a need to keep air traffic to Israel going despite the hardships due to the coronavirus regulations.
He added that all Israeli driving licenses will be renewed automatically with no need to pay fees or to head to a mechanic to ensure the car is in good working order.