Controversial bill undoes 2022 reform that gave ultra-Orthodox full carrier mobility; Deri: ‘For the first time, the law recognizes the public’s right to kosher communication’
Sam Sokol and Canaan Lidor July 25, 2024
Following hours of heated debate and numerous preliminary votes on opposition objections, lawmakers on Wednesday evening approved a controversial law rolling back consumer protections in order to give cellphone carriers legal grounds to continue offering restricted plans to ultra-Orthodox Israelis, and handing Haredi institutions the means to verify that individuals are using such censored phones.
The amendment to the Communications Law, which passed its second and third readings in a 60-53 vote, allows carriers to lock in place subscriptions for users of so-called kosher phones, which have largely become standard in ultra-Orthodox communities and are often required in order to engage in basic activities such as enrolling children in school.
Used by many in the ultra-Orthodox community who shun unfiltered access to the internet, kosher phones are stripped of features such as web browsers and messaging apps, and come with cheaper plans as they are only to used six days of the week — not on Shabbat — and their numbers have identifiable digits designating them as part of these rabbi-approved plans.
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