Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Shalom Simchon said Monday that he would set up a special consumer protection department, to monitor the economy and make sure consumers were not being overcharged or cheated. In a statement, Simchon's office said that the events of recent days “require the establishment of a system of support and defense for Israeli consumers, providing wide-ranging and visionary solutions.”

The statement added that the various sections of his office that are charged with protecting the consumer have not been working in a synchronized manner until now.