Thursday, March 17, 2022, 10:16 On Wednesday, March 16, the Be’er Sheva Magistrates Court ordered the Israel Police to return Tzvi Succot’s personal weapon to him. Several weeks ago, Succot, a well-known activist, members of Knesset and other public figures, participated in a demonstration at Ma’aleh Paula protesting the lack of law enforcement in the Arab and Bedouin populations of the Negev. During the protest, Succot was taken to the Rahat Police Station for interrogation, and to his shock, policemen confiscated his personal weapon.
Shortly after the confiscation, Honenu Attorney Nati Rom wrote a letter on behalf of Succot to the Be’er Sheva Magistrates Court requesting that they order the weapon returned. The court demanded a response from the police, and when the police did not respond, the court ordered the police to return Succot’s weapon to him. The police refused to return the weapon and asked the judge to reverse his decision. Yesterday (Wednesday) a hearing was held in the presence of both sides, at the conclusion of which the judge ordered the police to return Succot’s weapon to him, and they did, on the same day.
Honenu Attorney Nati Rom: “We are pleased with the decision by the Be’er Sheva Magistrates Court to return the weapon to Tzvi Succot. The judge stated that he did not remember another incident like this, and the police also admitted that they had never before confiscated a weapon on the grounds of squatting. We are very pleased that justice has been done, and we hope that the Israel Police will start confiscating the illegal weapons held by Bedouins and Arabs in the Negev instead of confiscating weapons used for self-defense by Jews.”
Tzvi Succot: “A big thank-you goes to Honenu Attorney Nati Rom. ‘There are judges in Be’er Sheva.’ I am pleased that justice has been done and that the court put an end to the vengeful conduct of the Rahat Police and their attempt to silence opinions. Throughout the entire Negev, there is a lack of criminal investigation of Bedouins for illegal building, while the area is increasingly overtaken [by illegal construction]. There is no reason to deny us the legitimate right to protest the illegal Bedouin takeover of the Negev. ‘And it was reversed, so that the Jews had rule over those who hated them.'”