Last update - 00:00 12/09/2006
Parks Authority to guard house of inspector threatened at gunpoint
By Zafrir Rinat, Haaretz Correspondent
Israel's Nature and Parks Authority on Monday decided to station a security guard outside the house of one of its inspectors in the north, after a suspected porcupine hunter threatened the inspector at gunpoint.
The suspected hunter allegedly seized the inspector's gun and pointed it at his head.
This was the first time the Authority has taken the initiative to guard an inspector's house due to threats on his life. The inspector has been active in attempting to curb the illegal hunting of porcupines in state parks.
Authority inspectors on Monday stopped a carful of individuals suspected of illegally hunting porcupines, Nature and Parks Authority director-general Eli Amitai said.
The suspects then began to attack the inspectors with clubs, forcing one of the inspectors to drop his gun, according to Amitai. At that point a suspect picked up the gun, cocked it, and pressed it against its owner's head, Amitai said.
The suspect then passed the weapon to his friend who again threatened the inspector at gunpoint. Police arrived at the scene and arrested the suspects.
A Safed judge released the two suspected of threatening the inspector Monday evening.
Amitai said the suspects were Hurfeish residents that are known to the authority and do not posses hunting licenses.
Later Monday, the inspector's family members received phone calls telling the inspector to discontinue his investigation against the suspect.
In a letter to the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, Amitai wrote that this was not an isolated incident, adding that he and his colleagues often feel a lack of protection from police and the legal system against these sorts of threats.
"Many violent records against inspectors have been closed by the police and all of our efforts to influence the legal authorities to bring the criminals to justice - including appeals to the state prosecutor - have been unsuccessful," Amitai wrote. "There have been several threats against inspectors and their families by outlaw hunters while the inspectors were enforcing laws."
The Justice Ministry said they were not aware of such threats.