Cablegate: Israel's Legislation On Text Messaging

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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTV #0392 0501048
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191048Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5546
INFO RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 3765

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000392

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/IPA and OES/S - Foster-Carter

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON SOCI IS
SUBJECT: Israel's Legislation on Text Messaging

REF: (A) STATE 6703 (B) Tel Aviv 273

1. (U) In follow-up on the Distracted Drivers demarche (ref A), Post
has received from the Israel National Road Safety Authority (INRSA)
the text of the applicable part of Israeli law. The head of the
INRSA offered the text in para 2 in informal translation from Hebrew
(note: there is no official translation of Israeli law available).
The first paragraph translates the applicable law, the second part
provides definitions of "hands-free device" and "telephone"
respectively.

2. (U) Begin Text:

1. When the car is moving
(a) holding or using any telephone is prohibited. Instead, use of a
hands-free device is allowed.
(b) sending or reading text messages (SMS) is prohibited.

2. A hands-free device is a device that is used as a phone that
does not need to be held, and only if it is placed in a stable
position that prevents it from falling. A telephone could be any
device intended for communication which has buttons that are pressed
to dial.

End of Text

3. (U) Although the Embassy has received no formal response to the
demarche yet from the MFA, post believes the GOI can be considered
as committed to road safety, and a potential contributor to the
March UNRSC discussion on the topic. Official response from the
GOI will be conveyed when received.

CUNNINGHAM

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