Fighting crime: The government on Sunday authorized the Ministerial Committee on Legislation to approve the bill, which dramatically increases the punishment for illegal shooting.

Amendment of the law is required because the offense in its formula today does not include many cases of the use of firearms that could endanger human life, such as when the shooting is dangerous but not carried out in a residential area, and also because the punishment currently prescribed is not serious enough.

This is reflected, among other things, in the background of the violence on the southern roads and the understanding that the existing law does not provide an adequate response to the enforcement of such incidents.

In the Zubidat judgment handed down in 2013, the Supreme Court held that the regular punishment of one year in prison for firing firearms in a residential area is not commensurate with the seriousness of the offense, both in light of the risk to human life and the punishment of other weapons offenses The Penal Code.

Therefore, in the amendment to the law it is proposed to widen the boundaries of the offense and to determine two offenses: a base offense and an offense under aggravated circumstances.

The punishment for the base offense, which will apply to any unlawful firing of firearms, will be commuted to two years’ imprisonment. For aggravated offenses, shall be sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. These circumstances are in cases in which the shooting was carried out in a residential area or in a manner that would endanger human life.

In light of the urgency of the approval of the law and the importance of shortening the legislative time, the government approved in principle the draft law and authorized the ministerial committee to approve the text of the bill with the consent of the government. The committee is expected to approve the proposal later in the day.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said: “The State of Israel will strike an iron fist against criminals of every kind and everywhere, and there will be no exceptions, including Bedouins who behave on the roads of the south, like in the Wild West. The legislation is important for restoring the sense of security to the citizens of Israel, and I thank the Minister of Public Security, Gilad Erdan, for his cooperation in preparing the law.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)