The Population Registry on Tuesday, 23 Menachem Av, released statistics pertaining to the regular and biometric teudat zehut, the Israeli identity card. It appears that from the beginning of June 2016, no less than 149,585 biometric ID cards were issued as were 253,207 biometric passports.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, a supporter of the biometric program and national database, explains the system has proven itself and the documents are far safer against forgery than their non-biometric predecessors.

The registry’s head, Prof. Shlomo Mor-Yosef adds that the statistics are proof as hundreds if not thousands of requests to change over to biometric are received in offices around the country daily.

It is pointed out that in all age categories, more women than men have requested the new biometric documents.

Following are some numbers broken down by city: (Requests for biometric documentation)

Ashdod: 10,445

Ashkelon: 7,132

Beersheva: 11,591

Haifa: 14,695

Holon: 7,393

Jerusalem: 41,626

Netanya: 8,722

Petach Tikvah: 11,951

Rishon L’Tzion: 10,818

Tel Aviv/Yaffo: 22,437

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)