OrdinanceCriminal Law
Police Ordinance [New Version], 5731-1971
פקודת המשטרה [נוסח חדש], תשל"א-1971
Published: 1971-03-11Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-08-11 · Last amended 2026-07-28✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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Section B: Placement and Operation of a Special Photography System and Use of Information Stored Therein
Purposes for Placement and Operation of a Special Photography System§
10g.
(a)The placement and operation of a special photography system, as well as the inclusion of real-time alerts in such a system, shall be for the following purposes only:
(1)the prevention, frustration, or detection of felony offences or offences liable to endanger the safety or security of a person, public safety, or State security, and the detection of persons involved in planning or committing such offences;
(2)the prevention of serious harm to personal safety or property, where there is a genuine concern of such harm;
(3)the location of a missing person or a person whose safety is a cause for concern;
(4)the enforcement of prohibitions on entry to public places imposed under law, or the enforcement of orders excluding persons from public places; for this purpose, "public place" — as defined in section 34x of the Penal Law, 5737-1977.
(b)The Minister, in consultation with the Minister of Justice and with the approval of the National Security Committee of the Knesset, or, if it has not been established — the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee of the Knesset, may prescribe by Order additional types of places to be treated as a public place for the purposes of subsection (a)(4), provided that —
(1)if the Minister considers that, owing to the urgency of the matter, there is an immediate need to issue the Order, the Minister may issue it without the approval of the Committee as aforesaid, and notice thereof shall be given to the Committee immediately after the Order is issued; the validity of such an Order shall not exceed 14 days;
(2)if notice has been given to the Committee as referred to in paragraph (1), the Committee shall deliberate on the Order within 14 days from the date of its issuance; if the Committee has not deliberated as aforesaid — the Order shall lapse;
(3)the Committee may approve the Order, in whole or in part, decline to approve the Order, or alter its period of validity, including to a period exceeding 14 days.
The Authority Competent to Approve Placement and Operation of a Stationary Special Camera§
10h.
The placement or operation of a stationary special camera requires the approval of an authorised officer; however, the placement and operation of such a camera for a period not exceeding three months may also be carried out with the approval of an authorising officer.
Conditions for Placement and Operation of a Stationary Special Camera§
10i.
(a)An authorised officer or an authorising officer, as the case may be, shall not approve the placement and operation of a stationary special camera unless satisfied, on the basis of a factual foundation placed before him, that it is required for the purpose of achieving a purpose from among the purposes listed in section 10g(a), and that the placement and operation of the stationary special camera will not infringe the privacy of a person to a degree exceeding that which is necessary, having regard, inter alia, to the following:
(1)the type of the stationary special camera;
(2)the times of its operation;
(3)the extent of movement at the location being photographed by it;
(4)the characteristics of the location being photographed by it and the sensitivity of the information concerning a person's presence therein;
(5)the number of stationary special cameras to be placed in a given area, which shall not exceed the number of cameras required to achieve the purpose referred to in the opening paragraph.
(b)A stationary special camera shall be placed in a manner that is visible to the eye, unless the authorised officer or the authorising officer, as the case may be, has determined that the circumstances of the matter justify its placement in a manner that is not visible to the eye.
(c)The authorised officer or the authorising officer shall consider the possibility of informing the public, by means of appropriate signage or online, of the placement of a stationary special camera, if doing so would not harm the purposes listed in section 10g(a).
(d)At least every three years, the authorised officer shall examine the need for the continued placement and operation of each stationary special camera and the fulfilment of the conditions for its placement and operation as referred to in section 10i(a), having regard to the data accumulated during the period of operation of the stationary special camera concerning the effectiveness of its operation in achieving the purpose for which it was placed and operated.
Restrictions Regarding Photography of the Entire Public Space of a Settlement or All Access Routes to a Settlement by a Special Photography System§
10j.
(a)In this section —
"settlement" — a municipality within the meaning of the Municipalities Ordinance, a local council that is not a regional council within the meaning of the Local Councils Ordinance, a settlement as defined in the Local Councils Order (Regional Councils), 5718-1958, and a statistical area;
"statistical area" — a statistical area whose principal function is residential, according to the publications of the Central Bureau of Statistics as updated from time to time.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of section 10h, the placement and operation of stationary special cameras photographing the entire public space of a settlement or all access routes to and from a settlement require the approval of an authorised officer, and the following provisions shall apply to them, in addition to the provisions of section 10i:
(1)an authorised officer shall not approve the placement and operation of stationary special cameras photographing the entire public space of a settlement, unless satisfied, on the basis of information presented to him, that it is required for a specific operational need, owing to a high probability of the commission of offences endangering a person's life, bodily integrity, public security, or State security;
(2)an authorised officer shall not approve the placement and operation of stationary special cameras photographing all access routes to and from a settlement, unless satisfied, on the basis of information presented to him, that it is required for a specific operational need, owing to a high probability of the commission of offences as referred to in paragraph (1) or property offences on a large scale.
(c)Approval for the placement and operation of a stationary special camera under subsection (b) shall be granted for a period not exceeding six months; upon the expiry of six months as aforesaid, the authorised officer may approve the continued placement and operation of the stationary special camera for additional periods, provided that its cumulative operation does not exceed one year within a period of three consecutive years.
(d)If a stationary special camera has been operated for a cumulative period of one year within a period not exceeding three consecutive years, a police officer of the rank of Commissioner and above may, in consultation with the Legal Adviser of Israel Police or a person on his behalf, approve its continued placement and operation for additional periods not exceeding six months at a time.
(e)Approval for the continued placement and operation of a stationary special camera under subsection (c) or (d) shall be granted in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) and having regard to the data accumulated during the period of placement and operation of the stationary special camera concerning the effectiveness of its operation in achieving the purpose for which it was placed and operated.
(f)If the Minister considers that the placement and operation of stationary special cameras under this section in accordance with a statistical area would frustrate the purpose for which they are to be placed and operated under this section, the Minister may direct that a different statistical area be used, not according to the publications of the Central Bureau of Statistics, in exceptional cases and if satisfied that this is required in the circumstances of the matter and having regard, inter alia, to the degree of harm to privacy that may be caused by the placement and operation of the cameras under this section; the Minister shall publish notice of a statistical area so directed on the website of the Ministry of National Security.
Operation of Mobile Special Cameras and Establishment of an Operating Procedure§
10k.
(a)A mobile special camera shall not be operated except in accordance with a procedure established by an authorised officer in accordance with the following provisions:
(1)the procedure shall be established in accordance with the purposes listed in section 10g(a);
(2)the procedure shall be established in a manner whereby the privacy of a person is not infringed to a degree exceeding that which is necessary for achieving the purposes referred to in paragraph (1), taking into account the type of camera and the times of its operation;
(3)the procedure shall address, inter alia, the following matters:
(a)informing the public of the operation of a mobile special camera, in accordance with the provisions of section 10i(c) regarding the placement of a stationary special camera, with the necessary modifications;
(b)supervision and oversight of the operation of mobile special cameras.
(b)Every three years, the authorised officer shall examine the procedure, in accordance with the provisions of this section and having regard to the data accumulated during the period of operation of the mobile special cameras concerning the effectiveness of their operation in achieving the purposes for which they were operated.
Conditions for Technological Use of Information from a Special Photography System§
10l.
(a)Israel Police may make technological use of information stored in a special photography system for the following purposes only:
(1)for the purpose of achieving a purpose from among the purposes listed in section 10g(a);
(2)for the purpose of saving or protecting human life;
(3)for the purpose of detecting, investigating, or preventing felony offences or misdemeanour offences listed in the Fifth Schedule, and for the purpose of criminal proceedings in respect of such offences;
(4)for the purpose of detecting offenders in respect of felony offences or misdemeanour offences as referred to in paragraph (3) and bringing them to trial;
(5)for the purpose of forfeiture of property under law;
(6)for the purpose of investigating patterns of commission of offences as referred to in this subsection;
(7)for the purpose of research in connection with the purposes referred to in paragraphs (1) to (6), provided that the information from the special photography systems transferred for the purpose of the research does not include identifying details and that no actual identification is carried out; research as aforesaid shall be approved by a police officer of the rank of Deputy Commissioner authorised by the Inspector General for this purpose.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), technological use of information that has been separated pursuant to the provisions of section 10m(c) shall be carried out only if an authorising officer has given approval therefor, and for the purpose of achieving a purpose from among the purposes listed in subsection (a) in relation to serious felony offences only.
(c)Technological use of information stored in a special photography system under this Chapter shall be carried out in a manner that does not infringe, to a degree exceeding that which is necessary, the privacy of a person.
(d)Israel Police shall establish procedures for the technological use of information under this section and the authorised persons for access to the database.
(e)The Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Justice and with the approval of the National Security Committee of the Knesset, may amend the Fifth Schedule by Order.
Retention of Information from a Special Photography System§
10m.
(a)Information stored in a special photography system shall be retained by Israel Police in accordance with the following provisions:
(1)in a manner that ensures a high level of protection against the leakage of information from the database, unauthorised access to or penetration thereof, as well as against transfer, disclosure, deletion, use, alteration, or copying without lawful authorisation;
(2)in a manner that prevents its use in contravention of the provisions of this Chapter;
(3)in a manner that ensures protection of the privacy of a person to whom such information relates.
(b)Actions carried out on the information shall be documented in a manner that enables supervision and oversight of the manner in which the information is used and the identity of those using it.
(c)Information stored in a special photography system shall be retained for the period necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was placed, having regard to the type of the special photography system, the manner of its placement and its location, and at the end of that period it shall be deleted, provided that such period shall not exceed two years, and in respect of a mobile special camera — one year; however, after no more than six months, and in respect of a mobile special camera — no more than three months, such information shall be separated from other information stored in the special photography system, and the provisions of section 10l(b) shall apply to the use thereof.
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Contact Us →Section C: Miscellaneous Provisions
Retrospective Technological Use of Information from Photography Systems That Are Not Special Photography Systems§
10n.
Technological use of information originating from a photography system that is not a special photography system, carried out retrospectively, shall be carried out for the purposes set out in section 10l(a) only and in accordance with the provisions of section 10l.
Real-Time Technological Use of Information from a Photography System Not Operated by Israel Police§
10o.
For the purposes of this Chapter, technological use carried out by Israel Police in real time of information originating from a photography system operated other than by Israel Police shall be treated as the placement and operation of a special photography system.
Disclosure of Information to a Public Body§
10p.
(a)Israel Police may disclose to a public body information stored in a special photography system in the following cases:
(1)at the request of the public body, if it requires such information for the purpose of fulfilling its functions, provided that the information is required for the purpose of achieving a purpose from among the purposes listed in section 10g(a) or for the purpose of protecting State security;
(2)the disclosure of the information to the public body is required by the Police for the purpose of achieving a purpose from among the purposes listed in section 10l(a);
(3)at the request of a public body listed in paragraph (2) of the definition of "public body", if it requires such information for the purpose of fulfilling its functions, provided that the information is required for the purpose of achieving a purpose from among the purposes set out in section 10l(a).
(b)Information shall not be disclosed to a public body under this section unless the public body has established procedures regarding the use of the information as aforesaid.
(c)Where a public body has received information under this section, the provisions of this Chapter shall apply, with the necessary modifications, to the public body and to the information it has received, including the provisions regarding the conditions and purposes of use of the information, the manner of retention of the information, the persons authorised to access the information, its security, oversight of access thereto, the retention period of the information, and its deletion.
Savings Provisions Regarding Investigation Material and Evidence in Criminal Proceedings§
10q.
Nothing in the provisions of this Chapter shall derogate from the provisions of any law, including Israel Police Orders and Military Orders as defined in the Military Justice Law, 5715-1955, regarding the holding, retention, making available for inspection, or any other use of investigation material within the meaning of section 74 of the Criminal Procedure Law [Consolidated Version], 5742-1982, of intelligence material collected or recorded by an intelligence authority as defined in that section, or of evidence submitted, in the framework of criminal proceedings, to a court or a military tribunal.
Non-Application to Statistical or Aggregate Information§
10r.
The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to the production of statistical information that is not capable of identification, or of unidentified aggregate information, from information stored in special photography systems.
Limitation on Application to Use for Purposes of Documenting Offences or for Investigation§
10s.
Nothing in the provisions of this Chapter shall derogate from the authority of Israel Police under any law —
(1)to operate photography systems that are not special photography systems and cameras that do not form part of special photography systems, and to make use thereof that is not technological use;
(2)to make use that is not technological use of information in a special photography system, which was not produced by means of the use of the unique technology of the special photography system;
(3)to place and operate special photography systems and to make technological use or other use of information stored therein for any of the following purposes:
(a)documentation of the commission of offences only, without documentation of all persons passing along the road, or documentation for the purpose of enforcing an offence of driving at a speed exceeding the permitted speed under law, provided that documentation of all persons passing along the road shall not be retained for longer than the period necessary for the purpose of calculating the speed of travel;
(b)a specific investigative operation in respect of a felony or misdemeanour offence that has been committed or of which Israel Police has become aware of an intention to commit, provided that such a special photography system shall not be placed for a period exceeding 30 days;
(c)securing a facility held by Israel Police, where one of the following applies, provided that the use of the information for this purpose is carried out in accordance with procedures established by Israel Police:
(1)the securing of the facility is carried out pursuant to a decision made by an authorised officer, and for the purpose of achieving the purposes referred to in section 10g(a)(1) and (2);
(2)the securing of the facility is carried out by means of the placement and operation of a special photography system photographing only those entering the said facility;
(4)to make technological use of information from a photography system that is not a special photography system, for the purpose of a specific investigation of an offence.
Reporting to the Attorney General§
10t.
(a)Israel Police shall report to the Attorney General, once a year, on the matters set out in Part 1 of the Sixth Schedule.
(b)A public body listed in paragraphs (2) to (4) of the definition of "public body" shall report to the Attorney General, once a year, on the matters set out in Part 2 of the Sixth Schedule.
Report to the Knesset§
10u.
(a)The Minister shall report to the National Security Committee of the Knesset, once a year, on all of the following with respect to Israel Police:
(1)the number of photographs that served as evidence in an investigation file, and of those, the number of files in which an indictment was filed;
(2)the number of objects identified in a special photography system;
(3)the number of persons authorised to access information stored in the special photography systems, broken down by their function;
(4)the number of cases in which use was made of information stored in a special photography system for a purpose among the purposes listed in section 10l(a) that are not included among the purposes listed in section 10g(a);
(5)a statistical analysis regarding the period of time that elapsed between the date on which a photograph was taken by the special photography system and the date on which that photograph was retrieved from the system for use as evidence in a criminal investigation;
(6)the number of cases in which a special photography system was used for urgent treatment of a life-threatening incident or of an incident involving a danger to state security;
(7)the number of authorisations granted under section 10l(b) for use of information that was separated pursuant to the provisions of section 10m(c);
(8)the number of cases in which stationary special cameras were positioned to photograph the entire public space in a locality or all access routes to and from a locality under section 10j;
(9)public bodies to which information was transferred under section 10p;
(10)the number of incidents of information leakage from the database or intrusion into it.
(b)The Minister shall report to a sub-committee of the National Security Committee of the Knesset whose sessions are classified, once a year, on the number of stationary special cameras positioned under this Chapter; a report under this subsection shall be classified.
(c)The Minister shall report to the National Security Committee of the Knesset, once a year, on the matters specified in subsection (a)(3), (6) and (10) with respect to the bodies listed in paragraphs (5), (6) and (7) of the definition of "public body".
(d)The Minister of Justice shall report to the National Security Committee of the Knesset, once a year, on the matters specified in subsection (a)(3), (6), (7) and (10), with respect to a public body listed in paragraph (2) of the definition of "public body".
(e)The Minister of Defence shall report to the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee of the Knesset, once a year, on the following:
(1)the matters specified in subsection (a)(3), (6), (7) and (10), with respect to the Military Police and the internal investigations unit of the Israel Defence Forces;
(2)the matters specified in subsection (a)(3), (7) and (10), with respect to the intelligence array operating under Central Command of the Israel Defence Forces; a report under this paragraph shall be classified.
(f)The Head of the General Security Service shall report to the Knesset committee for the affairs of the Service, once a year, on the matters specified in subsections (a)(3), (7) and (10), with respect to the General Security Service; in this subsection, "the Knesset committee for the affairs of the Service" — as defined in the General Security Service Law, 5762-2002.
(g)A copy of reports under this section shall be transmitted to the Authority for the Protection of Privacy at the Ministry of Justice; however, a report under subsections (e)(2) and (f) shall be delivered to an employee of the Authority for the Protection of Privacy who holds an appropriate security clearance for that purpose and in accordance with the information security rules of the General Security Service or the Israel Defence Forces, as the case may be; in this subsection, "security clearance" — as its meaning in section 15 of the General Security Service Law, 5762-2002.
Reporting obligations of a public body designated by the Minister of Justice by Order§
10v.
Where the Minister of Justice has designated, by Order, a public body under paragraph (8) of the definition of "public body", that Order shall prescribe the matters on which a report shall be submitted to the Attorney General under section 10t and to the National Security Committee under section 10u.
Regulations regarding special photography systems§
10w.
(a)The Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Justice and with the approval of the National Security Committee of the Knesset, shall make Regulations on the following matters:
(1)retention or deletion of information stored in a special photography system, including the periods for retaining such information;
(2)conditions for access to information stored in a special photography system, and documentation of access to the information and the purpose for which it was intended;
(3)transfer of information from the special photography system to another party authorised to receive it under law; Regulations under this paragraph concerning the transfer of such information to a party listed in paragraph (3) of the definition of "public body" shall also be made with the consent of the Minister of Defence;
(4)informing the public of the positioning of special cameras, in accordance with the provisions of section 10i(c);
(5)criteria for determining the reliability of special photography systems and supervision of their operation.
(b)The Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Justice, may make Regulations for the implementation of this Chapter, including prescribing provisions on the following matters:
(1)security of information stored in a special photography system;
(2)criteria for determining the location for positioning stationary special cameras and for operating mobile special cameras; Regulations under this paragraph require the approval of the National Security Committee of the Knesset.
(c)Before making Regulations under subsections (a) or (b), the Minister shall approach the Authority for the Protection of Privacy at the Ministry of Justice to obtain its opinion on the professional aspects within its areas of responsibility and expertise; such an opinion shall be given within 45 days from the date on which the Minister approached it, and if it has not been given, the Minister may make Regulations as aforesaid even without having received it.
(d)In Regulations under subsections (a) and (b), the Minister may prescribe different provisions for different types of special photography systems, having regard to the different characteristics of each special photography system, the extent of the harm to a person's privacy resulting from its positioning or operation, and the purposes for which it is positioned and operated, as the case may be.
Amendment of the Fourth Schedule and the Sixth Schedule§
10x.
(a)The Minister, with the consent of the Minister of Justice and with the approval of the National Security Committee of the Knesset, may, by Order, amend the Fourth Schedule.
(b)The Minister and the Minister of Justice, with the approval of the National Security Committee of the Knesset, may, by Order, amend the Sixth Schedule.
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