The establishment of a national emergency authority for the protection of the home front was approved Sunday by the government. Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who masterminded the plan, will oversee its implementation, together with Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, who said, "The authority's role will be to prevent a situation in which everyone does whatever comes to mind, as sometimes happened during the Second Lebanon War."

The authority is expected to coordinate its activities with the IDF Home Front Command and is slated to commence its duties by the end of next year.