Israel has rolled out a “freedom bracelet” tracking device for those entering the country from abroad as a part of new Covid restrictions for travelers.
Under the new rules, international travelers coming into Israel will have two choices; either quarantine in an “army hotel” or wear the tracking device bracelet during a ten day quarantine at home.
Video from RT show travelers being equipped with the “freedom bracelet” at the Ben Gurion airport on Monday.
The device, which resembles a smart watch, is being produced by a company called SuperCom that has previously worked with governments of several countries on systems to track and monitor prisoners, reports Summit News.
CEO of SuperCom, Ordan Trabelsi, says the name for the bracelet is fitting because it allows travelers to avoid being locked up for simply entering the country.
Nothing screams freedom more than that …
“We call it a ‘freedom bracelet’ because we are not locking anybody up, but rather giving them the opportunity to go home,” Trabelsi said.
“Nobody is forced to do it, but for those who are interested, it gives them another option: more flexibility,” he added.
As Summit News further notes:
The development comes at the same time as a court ruling demanding that the country’s domestic spy agency the Shin Bet must back off Covid-19 contact-tracing surveillance.
The court ruled that the efforts are “draconian” and a threat to democracy in the country, and can only be used in emergencies.
Israel is also operating a two tier society where those who have been vaccinated have a ‘green pass’ to go where they want, and those who haven’t must stay under lockdown.
The move by Israel is just the latest over-the-top decision by governments to relinquish individual liberty at the expense of a virus that poses virtually no threat to the lives of those in general good health under the age of 70.
As we highlighted last month, the United Kingdom has started forcing international travelers from a list of 33 countries to quarantine in a government-sanctioned hotel for over a week or face a large fine.
Travelers entering the UK from any country on the government’s new “red list” must pre-book and pay £1,750 ($2,120) to stay in a sanctioned hotel, an order which amounts to a large tax burden on travelers and will likely be another blow to the desperately struggling travel industry.
If the quarantine order is broken, the government is ready to issue a £10,000 ($12,114.90) fine.
If a traveler is found to be lying about where they are coming from, they will also face a £10,000 fine and potentially up to ten years in prison.
This week, Brussels announced it is set to propose a digital vaccination passport across the European Union.
“As for the question of what the digital green passport could look like: we will submit a legislative proposal in March”, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Monday.
Article: Israel rolls out “freedom bracelet” tracking device for travelers