The Ministerial Law Committee on Sunday 15 Tammuz approved a bill that would compel public agencies to accept email, not just faxes. Some agencies, still today, receive faxes but will not permit the public to use email or send attached documents. For many, this presents a real problem as fax machines are no longer common as they once were. If passed into law, it could spell the end of faxes in Israel.

While there is email in Israel for about 30 years, public agencies have yet to all accommodate receiving email from the public, relying on faxes. According to the author of the bill, MK (Yesh Atid) Elazar Stern, the public all too often finds itself in a quandary, having to send a fax but without the ability to do so. The bill would apply to local and national government agencies, Bituach Leumi, water companies, banks, communications companies, gas companies, Israel Electric and more. Stern adds, that the frustration of the public with the archaic fax machines is palpable, citing all too often persons are told “the fax never arrived”.

The list of agencies to be included encompasses all government offices and agencies, educational institutions, utilities, kupot cholim (HMOs), hospitals, clinics, banks, insurance companies, cellular providers, cable providers, internet providers and more.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)