Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz faced the cameras at the Knesset June 1, attempting to reassure Israelis over their "coronavirus law" proposal: A bill to enable the government to extend the country’s state of emergency by 10 months. Both men promised that the proposed law won’t infringe significantly on individual rights.

Netanyahu and Gantz had their work cut out for them. The explanations they provided were designed to calm the public storm that broke out a few days earlier, after news broke of the government’s intention to legislate the new law in order to avoid a second wave of the virus.

After the numbers of new infections decreased rapidly in May, the government started to ease restrictions, including reopening schools. But as of May 31, the numbers are increasing again, and it is clear that the coronavirus is still active in the country.

According to a draft memorandum, the bill would allow the government to impose emergency measures for up to 10 months and extend restrictions on movement. In fact, the government could impose a lockdown, enforce home isolation and grant police authority to disperse gatherings and to implement restrictions on behavior in the public sphere. The government could actually prohibit demonstrations altogether. The police would be permitted to enter homes of people infected with the virus without a warrant and use force to enforce health regulations.