Gov’t to Revise Green Pass Mandate in Malls Following Public Outcry

The government is set to revise its Green Pass mall outline, following widespread public criticism.

The outline’s revision will see each mall manage the Green Pass mandate independently, while the requirement to distribute bracelets to customers marking which of them has a valid Green Pass will be removed completely.

MKs and shopping mall directors expressed strong opposition after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz decided Tuesday to apply the Green Pass regulations to shopping malls.

According to the initial outline the guidelines would apply to all indoor complexes larger than 10,000 square meters (108,000 square feet), with digital certificates to be scanned by security personnel at the entrance. Every vaccinated patron will receive a bracelet that will allow him or her to move around the mall freely.

Unvaccinated Israelis will only be allowed to enter “essential” shops, with a list to be formulated by the government’s legal advisors. Unvaccinated individuals will not receive a bracelet.

Coalition member Minister Eli Avidar (Yisrael Beytenu) criticized the move, calling it a “hasty step that has no epidemiological logic and one that disregards reality.”

“It is a blow to business owners and a blow to citizens. The democratic public is losing the little trust it has left and in the culprits who participate in this madness,” he said.

The management of the Dizengoff Center shopping mall in Tel Aviv said in a statement, “At this point, the decision is not applicable, effective or relevant to reality, but once we get the full details we will understand its requirements and examine whether it can be implemented. We will continue to keep the center a safe space for all while respecting the rights of the individual.”