Panel convenes to discuss spate of armed robberies

Most recent incident saw gunman enter Mizrahi bank in Ness Ziona, fire two shots into ceiling, take off with NIS 200,000 in cash.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Forensic police unit (photo credit: Ben Hartman)
Forensic police unit
(photo credit: Ben Hartman)
The Knesset’s Interior Committee will hold a special session next week to discuss a spate of armed robberies in recent months.
In the most recent incident, a gunman entered a Mizrahi bank branch in Ness Ziona, south of Tel Aviv, on Wednesday evening, and fired two shots into the ceiling before taking off on a moped with NIS 200,000 in cash.
Police did not report the incident to the press until several hours hours later.
On Monday, a man was shot in the head and killed after trying to tackle an armed robber at a bank in Upper Nazareth. A masked gunman entered an Israel Postal Company bank in the morning and demanded that the cashier place thousands of shekels in a bag. As he turned to walk out of the door, the robber was challenged by 49-year-old David Mashashwili. The suspect opened fire from close range.
Police Insp.-Gen. Yohanan Danino and Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch are scheduled to testify before the committee, which is expected to demand to know what steps are being taken to contain the dangerous incidents.
In August, a security guard was shot dead when a gunman wearing a motorcycle helmet to cover his face robbed a Bank Hapoalim branch in the town of Be’er Ya’acov, between Ness Ziona and Ramle.