JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel on Tuesday approved a new law limiting the government’s ability to impose new virus restrictions.
The law, which will go into effect on Feb. 1 and last until the end of the year, prohibits the cabinet from greenlighting new COVID-19 regulations without first getting approval from the Knesset – Israel’s parliament.
If government ministers want to approve new restrictions, they must classify the situation as either a “state of emergency” or the less serious “special health situation.” The most intense restrictions like lockdowns, remote schooling, and bans on international travel are reserved for a state of emergency, and only if ministers believe virus cases have risen enough to pose a significant threat to public health. Either designation must first receive approval from the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee or the entirety of parliament within seven days. Otherwise, the restrictions are automatically rescinded.
Under the law, the state of emergency can only last for 45 days and a “special health situation” is limited to 90 days, which effectively cancels the persistent state of emergency Israel has been in since the beginning of the pandemic.
The measure also enshrines Israel’s Green Pass system into law.
The Green Pass is Israel’s proof of vaccination and it allows citizens to enter many indoor venues and large gatherings if they are vaccinated against COVID-19, recovered from the virus in the last six months, or tested negative in the last 72 hours.
Now that the Green Pass is enshrined into law, it means public places and businesses are legally obligated to follow the system’s rules. However, stores selling essential goods cannot require customers to provide proof of vaccination, the new law says.
Additionally, the government is prohibited from limiting the Green Pass to vaccinated and recovered individuals, allowing people to have the option of presenting a negative COVID test instead. The new law requires the government to pay for such tests for people who cannot get vaccinated due to medical reasons.
Constitution Committee Chairman Gilad Kariv said in a statement before the law passed that it “will enable us to end the state of emergency after almost two years and transition to a special health situation, in which there’s a more appropriate balance between protecting our fundamental rights and the need to prevent harm to the public’s health.”
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