The Israeli government is due to vote Sunday on a list of regulations related to the coronavirus epidemic.
The draft was initiated by the Prime Minister's Office and formulated by a special team in the Justice Ministry, headed by Deputy Attorney-General Raz Nazri.
It was reported that the changes to the draft law were made with reference to hundreds of comments made by members of the public and discussion of the matter will continue even after approval by the Knesset's Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
- Following are the main points of the draft legislation:
- The Knesset and the courts will continue to operate, and the right to protest will continue to apply.
- Police will require permits in order to enter private homes.
- Emergency orders will apply for a period of 30 days, and can be cancelled by the Knesset at any point in time.
- The legislation also stipulates that all government regulations must be brought before the Knesset for approval within a week, and lockdown orders on neighborhoods or communities will apply for the duration of one week.
- The government will be required to give special consideration to individuals with special needs.
- Government decisions will be made while taking their economic effects on the market and the public into consideration.
On Friday, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit responded to the law, saying that "the law was created in order to provide the government with authority...more than the regulations, while ensuring supervision and balance."
He also emphasized that despite the hundreds of suggestions for a bill, it will not be possible to extend the period of time during which the public's comments are received. However, he said that "the comments will be heard later, in a public process."