MK Katz: Homeowner who killed burglar 'deserves citation'

By JPOST.COM STAFF
MKs on Tuesday responded to the death of a burglar who was shot by a Moshav Ben-Shemen homeowner the previous night, several months after the approval of the 'Shai Dromi Bill', which permits homeowners to open fire on intruders as an act of self defense. "He deserves a citation," Likud MK Yisrael Katz, one of the proponents of the bill, said, adding that his words applied only "if the man indeed was acting out of self defense. Burglars must know that their blood will be on their heads and that the basic right to self defense is the only way to create deterrence and to try and prevent this disturbing phenomenon whereas people feel unsafe in their own homes." MK Zehava Gal-On (Meretz), on the other hand, denounced the homeowner and reiterated her opposition to the bill. "The Knesset," she said, "has enabled a trigger-happy finger. It was only a matter of time before the license to kill, which was granted by the Knesset in legislating the Dromi Bill will become reality. Burglars should be behind lock and key, and it is inconceivable that someone who kills them will be exempt from culpability."