Tel-Chai Nation

I once wrote about a Frenchman who acted in self-defense, and was thankfully given a helping by Nicholas Sarkozy when persecuted by a screwed up court system in France. Well if you've ever thought that here in Israel, it was any better or different...not so fast. I'm afraid it's not that much better at all, as the following article shows, and thankfully, the farmer being persecuted is getting a voice in defense from a Likud member:

MK Yisrael Katz calls upon AG Mazuz not to indict a Negev farmer for shooting and killing a Bedouin burglar, and plans to propose legislation to protect the increasingly insecure local residents.

The issue at hand occurred on the Sabbath. Shai Dromi, whose custody was extended today until Thursday, is the owner of a small farm in the Negev outside Meitar, northeast of Be'er Sheva and just south of the southern border of Judea and the Hevron area. The area has long been plagued by Bedouin thieves, and residents complain that the police are powerless to stop them.

Friday night, Shai slept in the barn, fearing a robbery. Having had a horse and tractor stolen and several dogs killed just in the past few months, he felt helpless in the face of the increasing threats. He awoke around 3 AM when he saw that his dog had been poisoned and was dying. He then noticed four burglars on his property. Fearing for his life, he said, he took an old gun of his father's, shot at their legs, and wounded two of the intruders. One of them bled to death, even though Shai said he tried to administer first-aid.

Dromi was arrested shortly afterwards, charged with murder, misuse of a weapon and shooting in a built-up area.

The dead man, Haled Al-Atrash, 31, was released from prison a month ago after completing a 4-year sentence for stealing agricultural property.

MK Katz called upon Mazuz not to indict Dromi. "Citizens in the area feel threatened and insecure in their own homes," Katz said, "while the criminals openly mock the law. This must be changed." A former Agriculture Minister, Katz lives in Moshav Kfar Achim, near Kiryat Malachi and Ashkelon.

He said he plans to introduce legislation according to which all opposition by a person to one who breaks into his home or property will be considered self-defense.

Even here, there's discrimination against people who act in self-defense, and I encourage all reading this to take it up on it for further discussion.

Open trackbacks: Basil's Blog, Church and State, Leaning Straight Up, Outside the Beltway, Pirates' Cove. Others on the subject include Joe Settler, Yoni the Blogger, The Muqata (plus, another one).

Labels: Israel