Police arrest Arab rioter (file)
Police arrest Arab rioter (file)Basel Awidat/Flash 90

A bill proposed by Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) became law yesterday, as it succeeded in passing the second and third readings in the Knesset plenum. The law gives police the authority to search any person who they deem suspicious. They are now allowed to search the person's belongings, clothing, and their physical person. 

The reasoning behind the law is to give the police extra power and authority with the aim of preventing physical violence.

The police must have a reasonable suspicion that the person being searched will carry out a physical attack against another person in order to justify the search. Additionally, police will also now have the authority for the next two years to search any individual, even without a reasonable suspicion, if the regional commander declares the area to be one in which it is suspected that an attack may take place.  

In the explanatory part of the bill it states that "the new authority to search individuals in a place wherein it is expected that an attack may occur will allow the police to prevent more violent attacks. In an effort to limit the damage to the individual being searched, the search must be limited to looking for weapons only."

"This is an important strengthening of the police ability to more adequately combat terror and violence and to protect the security of citizens during events in which a large crowd is present," Erdan said. "It will also help in public spaces as well as cultural hotspots in which the presence of a knife or other weapons can now be combated." 

The law will only allow police to conduct checks on a suspicious person or at the entrance to certain events which are deemed necessary by the regional commander. The declaration is only allowed to be in place for a short term, and is only to be given if there are special security concerns.