Interior Minister Aryeh Deri has turned to the chairman of the committee overseeing the experimental biometric passport and ID card program, MK Nissim Slomiansky, to extend the trial period for an additional nine months. Slomiansky will be convening the committee next week to approve the request.

The controversial program was launched on June 30, 2013. Back in February 2014 officials boasted over 200,000 Israelis have already opted to join despite warnings one’s identity could be compromised if the new database is hacked. Last July, the committee under the leadership of Silvan Shalom extended the program for nine months until March 31, 2016 and Deri now wishes to extend it for yet another nine months, until December 31, 2016.

Last week officials reported 935,000 Israelis have joined the program and to date, the state has issued 1.5 million identification cards and passports. In over 1,300 requests officials were alerted to possible efforts for multiple applications but in fact, only three of these requests turned out to be an effort at a duplicate acquisition.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)