Soldier-free Checkpoint Control

December 1, 2010

The new system “speaks” Arabic with the users. After identifying the handprint and checking personal details on an electronic card, the system quickly authorizes entry into Israel. “A new situation has emerged in the territories with the creation of the security fence. The importance of maintaining the Palestinian citizens' quality of life has become more heightened,” the military source explained.

He also noted that some 25,000 workers from the territories enter Israel every day. “Up until now, one would have needed to visit a manned post, present an ID and wait for the soldier's entry permit. We realized a change was needed and that's how the project was conceived…We tested the device's function and found it to be extremely user-friendly, shortening lines, and rendering the crossing more pleasant.”

Central Command Chief Avi Mizrahi has recently approved the installation of 12 electronic control terminals in checkpoints around the Green Line [which delineates the West Bank from the rest of Israel] as early as next year. The IDF plans on equipping those terminals with other ID programs, including facial print checks. “The system is coded and can receive data in real time. If we have information suggesting that an entry pass should be revoked, the system is immediately informed,” the source said.

Source: Excerpts of an article by Hanan Greenberg, Ynetnews

Photo Credit: Ynetnews.com/Hanan Greenberg