On the National Level – New Laws on Privacy Issues:
The Parliament has been struggling to pass a law making it mandatory for every citizen of Israel to have a biometric card that will include many details of the cardholder’s personal life. It is not clear how much information will be revealed and in the eyes of many it will be “An unnecessary invasion into one’s life”. Those in favor of the law emphasize the need for tight security, claiming that on the national level personal security is less important than National Security.
Checks and balances in this case are almost impossible to achieve.
Please remember that it is only a question of time until every establishment will have a camera. Our main roads and streets are getting more and more of those cameras as are banks, malls, liquor stores and many other business establishments. Big brother is here and he is here to stay!
If you have a fancy car and you want it to be insured you will need to install a device called ITURAN. This is a GPS device tracking your car 24/7. Use a cab if you want to go somewhere without being tracked.
I am all for privacy but we are not an open democracy and will never be because of our special security needs. At most we are a “defensive democracy”. We have special “defense needs” therefore we have a different approach for general privacy policy.
Privacy in Public:
Let us begin with this blanket statement: Israel and Israelis are not privacy freaks nor do they have much respect for privacy.
Unlike in the US, a Will (testament) MUST include personal details of all parties involved. An ID number is necessary in order to recognize the parties. If a Will is written in Israel without an ID number, the will is null/void.
The worst part comes when you are finally given a court decision after going through the regular legal procedures and are now able to use the Will. You will be given either a “Tsav Kium Tsavaa” or a “Tsav Ierusha” from the civil court or from the Rabbinic court. In Israel of 2015 this legal document is attached to the original Will! Everywhere you need to do anything related to the Will, you will be asked for the final legal document above (such as banks, Ministries, etc.).The receiving clerk will be allowed to make a copy of the documents, giving him/her access to every piece of information regarding your new estate, along with any other private information contained in that Will!
Due to this unique situation, I will be filing a motion with the Ministry of Justice to change the laws but it may take years to have the rules changed.
Privacy in your Workplace:
A few weeks ago someone (an American) called me to ask how he can sue his employer because he dared to “invade his email box”. He kept asking what the law has to say and the penalties for invading his “sanctuary”, etc.
The answer is not simple and actually there is more than one answer. For the record we will not handle these cases for free or even for a fee, except when real monetary damages were caused by the “invasion of one’s privacy”. Remember though that the burden of proof is on the plaintiff’s shoulders.
Your Own Personal Privacy on a Day to Day Basis:
We are also a “small village” wherein most of us feel “friendly” toward each other, meaning that Israelis feel “entitled” to ask questions such as “how much is your salary”? Do not be offended – you don’t have to answer.
How many times while waiting in line at the bank have you found yourself “sharing your space” with the next customer? This should not happen but it does very often. The best way to handle this small episode is to be assertive and stay calm.
I remember last time it happened to me – the guy next to me would not move even when I asked him politely to step aside. I then had to use a more convincing technique. What I did made the entire line angry at me and at him. I started having a “small talk” with the clerk asking her about the weather, her personal life, etc. Finally she said she could not work like this and threatened to leave her booth. This of course caused uproar – the guy next to me understood very fast that he would be the center of the general anger and left (cursing me). I never raised my voice and I got what I wanted – personal space in which to conduct my private business.
There are many ways one can achieve his goals in a peaceful manner. Do not give up but be reasonable. It will take many years until we change this mentality. Good people like you, using good techniques can make this change happen faster and with less friction.
A Word of Wisdom:
Getting mad, losing your temper and threatening will get you nowhere. The best way to deal with the lack of privacy is on one hand being willing to compromise when possible, and on the other hand writing letters to the different government Ministries and organizations expressing your concerns in a respectful manner.
