Israeli minister announces facial-recognition surveillance at al-Aqsa

Israel’s Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch yesterday announced that visitors to Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound will soon be “scanned by a facial-recognition surveillance system that can pick out faces from a crowd.”

The report in Haaretz, citing comments made by the Minister on Channel 1 News, also notes the minister’s promise to return metal detectors to the compound.

Israeli news website Walla additionally reported that the Public Security Ministry has allocated 4 million shekels (just over $1 million) to carry out the new plan.

Aharonovitch also said that in certain circumstances, he will prevent Members of Knesset from visiting the compound, in case of “an operational need” or if it may “lead to riots.”

The minister added his voice to those urging punitive measures against Palestinians in East Jerusalem, saying that those who engage in protests and unrest could be stripped of their residency rights in the city. “This will cancel any benefits they or their families receive from National Insurance. They can move to Judea and Samaria [the West Bank].”