A ministerial committee will vote on Sunday on a proposal that would create a witness protection program for those who agree to testify against members of criminal organizations.  Until now, those who testify against underworld figures have been granted police protection until the end of the trial, and sometimes a ticket to leave the country. 

The proposed law would allow an official program to change a witness’s identity, give the witness new housing and a new job in Israel or abroad, and even fund plastic surgery to change his or her appearance.  The program would protect a witness’s family members as well.