New communications minister, Haredi parties reach deal to nix 'kosher' phone reform - The Times of Israel

New Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi (Likud) reaches understandings with the Haredi parties to cancel the erstwhile government’s kosher phones reform, with the leaders hailing the cooperation, arsenic opposed to erstwhile curate Yoaz Hendel’s effort to “force a alteration of manner connected an full community.”

Many successful the ultra-Orthodox assemblage usage alleged “kosher” phones, stripped of features specified arsenic net and messaging apps, successful the effort to debar contented deemed inappropriate. These phones each person numbers with a chiseled beginning, truthful that examining the telephone fig tin find whether the idiosyncratic has a kosher phone.

Hendel’s programme would alteration holders of kosher phones to power to a regular mobile phone, without changing their telephone numbers, allowing those funny successful having smartphones to usage them, and weakening the choky intra-community regularisation connected the matter.

The conjugation deals signed past week included a pledge to nix the phasing retired of aged 2G and 3G cellular networks successful Israel, owed to the kosher phones’ reliance connected those networks.

A compromise has been reached connected that front, successful which the phasing retired volition happen, but with a hold of six months — done the extremity of 2025 — to let for the mentation of kosher phones with 4G reception.