Israel’s Supreme Court hears challenge to coronavirus cellphone monitoring

Civil liberties activists asked Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday to suspend cellphone monitoring put in place under emergency regulations to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Surveillance began this week after the government approved special orders that circumvented customary parliamentary oversight and enabled the Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency to tap into cellular location data, Reuters reported.

The Association of Civil Rights in Israel, Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights - and the Joint List of Arab parties petitioned the court to freeze the monitoring. “The government cannot bypass the legislature and hide behind a general state of emergency to commit such extreme human rights violations,” Adalah said. “This crosses a red line no less troubling than the coronavirus epidemic itself.”

PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused by political opponents of taking action that undermines democracy, allegations he denies. He has said waiting for parliament to act would have wasted time and cost lives.

Israel has 529 confirmed coronavirus cases and Netanyahu has said he will issue lockdown orders unless people step up compliance with guidelines urging them to stay at home.