Aryeh Schiff
Aryeh SchiffNo credit

MK Amichai Chikli of Yamina submitted a proposed amendment to the 'Dromi Law', named after the infamous case of Shai Dromi, a Negev farmer who shot and killed a Bedouin thief in January, 2007, before being acquitted of manslaughter but convicted of illegal possession of weapons.

Dromi, the owner of a small farm in a mostly-deserted town northeast of Be'er Sheva and just south of the southern border of Judea and the Hebron area, shot shot and wounded two thieves who had poisoned his dog, with one bleeding to death.

The case attracted national attention, and even led to the passage of a bill known as the Dromi Law, proposed the day Dromi was arrested by former Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz.

Chikli's amendment would expand individual self-defense rights with the purpose of preventing cases in which a law-abiding citizen seeking to defend himself is charged with a crime, similar to the case of Aryeh Schiff, a 70-year-old man from southern Israel who shot and killed a Bedouin intruder trying to steal his car.

The law would provide citizens with tools to deal with criminal elements as well as a wider scope of action ensuring their personal security. The law was formulated with the help of Schiff's family members and the Negev Rescue Committee, accompanied by the Im Tirtzu Zionist movement.

"The manslaughter conviction of Aryeh Schiff is a disgrace to Israel's justice system. Aryeh is a normative, honest citizen who was trying to protect himself and his family and is no criminal. Every Israeli citizen should have the right to defend their life, integrity and personal property," said Chikli.