Israel Police have confiscated over 4,000 illegal weapons so far this year, with 90% of them in the possession of Israeli-Arabs.

By Israel Today Staff

More than 4,000 illegal weapons have been confiscated in Israel over the last 10 months, the Hebrew-language daily Israel Hayom reported, citing police officials.

About 3,600 of these weapons were found in the Arab sector. In other words, 90 percent of Israel’s illegal weapons and ammunition come from Arab-Israeli households.

Among the confiscated weapons are 526 pistols and 435 rifles, mostly of the assault-rifle variety.

תיעוד: אב צילם את בנו, תינוק בן שנה וחמישה חודשים, משחק עם אקדח טעון במיטתו. האב, תושב אום אל פחם, נעצר, וכתב אישום הוגש נגדו בגין גניבת הנשק וסיכון חיי בנו
(אורלי אלקלעי) pic.twitter.com/M6eqqUylZM

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 24, 2019

Translation: A father photographed his son, a 5-month-old baby playing with a loaded gun in his bed. The father, a resident of Umm al-Fahm, was arrested and an indictment was filed against him for theft of the weapon and child-endangerment. (Orly Alcalay)

Since the beginning of the year, approximately 3,350 Arabs have been arrested in Israel in connection with illegal possession of firearms, arms trafficking and smuggling and shootings.

Compared to last year, there is an increase of 21 percent in the total number of illegal weapons, but the relationship between the Arab and other sectors has not changed much.

Yesterday, a video that made headlines showed a one-year-old baby with a loaded gun. The baby’s father, a resident of the city Umm el-Fahm, was arrested. He claimed the weapon didn’t work. Later, however, it turned out that the gun had been stolen from a security officer in Tel Aviv.

The father was charged with theft and child-endangerment.

View original Israel Today publication at;
https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/illegal-weapons-and-the-arab-sector/