MK Tzvi Sukkot: ‘Stop Considering Anyone Who Fires A Gun A Criminal’

On Monday, the National Security Council assembled to address the procedures followed by the police when civilians use legally owned firearms.

The meeting was arranged at the request of MK Amit Halevi from the Likud party. Testimonies were shared by civilians who recounted incidents in which they found themselves in life-threatening situations and had to utilize their legally possessed weapons. However, they were met with immediate interrogation and warnings upon arriving at police stations.

Arutz Sheva reports that MK Tzvi Sukkot, representing Religious Zionism, also took part in the meeting and expressed his viewpoint. He remarked, “Instead of being embraced as heroes who saved lives, people are forced to fight for their innocence. In settlements, there is a prevailing sentiment that anyone carrying a firearm is automatically deemed a criminal, and those who use their weapons are unquestionably treated as such. We must alter this default perception and change the reality where individuals who use firearms to protect lives are immediately subjected to interrogations under warning.”

During the course of the discussion, MK Sukkot shared a personal anecdote that highlighted the ease with which the police confiscate firearms and the resulting challenges. After participating in a protest in southern Israel, which involved the creation of a simulated village, Sukkot received a summons for questioning at the Rahat police station. Despite not using his weapon at all during the incident, he was instructed to surrender it.

Sukkot took legal action to retrieve his confiscated firearm. During the proceedings, the police admitted that they had wrongfully seized the weapon. Nonetheless, they persisted in withholding its return until Sukkot renewed his license. The judge overseeing the case rejected the police’s demands and ruled that the weapon be promptly returned to Sukkot.

{Matzav.com Israel}