JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Jewish farmer from the Negev was acquitted on manslaughter charges for killing a Bedouin trespasser.
Two years ago, Shai Dromi shot at two Bedouins trespassing on his farm, killing one and seriously injuring another. Dromi was convicted Wednesday in Beersheba District Court on lesser charges of illegal gun possession and use of a firearm without a license.
Dromi’s appeal of his arrest lead to the passage in June 2008 of a law bearing his name that allows property owners to shoot at burglars. Before the incident, Dromi had filed 15 complaints regarding Bedouins trespassing on his property and harassing him.
Arab lawmakers lamented the verdict, saying that the Justice Ministry was giving Jewish Israelis a "license to kill an Arab."
