News Brief19:26 PM

(IsraelNN.com) MK Gilad Erdan (Likud) harshly criticized a Shas-backed bill to limit access to Internet sites containing pornography, gambling, or violence.  The bill “will transform us into a type of Iran,” he said, by allowing the Shas Council of Torah Sages to determine which websites are appropriate and which are not. 

The bill passed its first reading on Wednesday with a majority of 46 to 20.  If it gets final approval, the bill will require Internet providers to automatically block websites deemed unsafe until asked to do otherwise by adult clients. 

Erdan recently proposed a bill that would have required Internet providers to supply customers with information on how to block problematic websites.  His proposal was voted down.