The government approved a bill Sunday that would create a central database containing every Israeli citizen's fingerprints and photograph. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the law would implement an "unprecedented revolution" in order to combat passport counterfeiting and improve the service provided to citizens by governmental bodies.

If the law passes, identity cards will include a "smart card," which, in addition to the biometric information, would allow citizens to contact governmental services digitally and electronically. Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said that a state-supervised database could be created "that must be the only place such data is stored."