The Biometric Database Law, which was recently passed by the Knesset for a semi-voluntary trial period, continues to generate heated debates throughout Israeli society. Legislators, such as MK Meir Sheetrit (Kadima), and administrative officials, such as Interior Ministers Eli Yishai, have vigorously pushed for the passage of the bill, while a considerable list of experts and scientists, including two recent Nobel Prize winners, have publicly voiced grave concerns over the concept and the proposed implementation of the program. Their concerns range from principal civil rights issues to practical fears regarding privacy and identity theft.
According to the compromise agreement reached several weeks ago, the database will be built over a two year period on a semi-voluntary basis. Although citizens will not be compelled to surrender their biometric data to the program, unwillingness to volunteer will come at the cost of being denied "smart" ID cards and passports (which can technically be issued without inputting the information in a unified database), as well as being denied the "smart government" services that this new form of ID will enable. At the end of the two year period, the Knesset will to decide whether to scrap the program or to proceed and make participation mandatory.
In light of the ongoing controversy, on January 20, 2010, IDI's George Shultz Roundtable Forum convened leading officials, professional experts, and scholars to discuss the biometric database and the concerns it has raised.
This event was broadcast live on the IDI website. Full video coverage is available at the bottom of this page (Hebrew).