Handgun and bullets
Photo: Police
Woman, 78, hands in weapons left over from late husband
Holocaust survivor who operated local armory for 40 years was strong believer in taking care of self, community, daughter says
A weapons collection drive currently carried out by the Defense Ministry
has led many Israelis to hand in munitions they had in storage for years. However, little prepared officers at the Kiryat Gat
police station to the armory arsenal submitted by a 78-year-old woman from a nearby moshav in southern Israel.
The woman, who was accompanied by her daughter, brought in four crates filled with firearms including an Uzi machine gun, a 38 mm Colt handgun as well as numerous cartridges and flares. These belonged to the woman's late husband, a Holocaust survivor who hoarded weapons obsessively throughout his life.
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The woman's daughter told police "My father was a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to Israel as a child. Ever fearful of another war, he had been especially afraid assailants might confiscate his possessions, thus he hoarded weapons. For 40 years he was the moshav's security coordinator, responsible for its armory."
The daughter added that when the State decided to terminate local armories, her father collected some of his neighbors' weapons, intending to ultimately hand them over to the military; however the opportunity never arose as he became gravely ill.
A handgun, bullets and a newspaper from 1977 (Photo: Police)
The crates handed in to the police contained a newspaper from 1977, pointing to the number of years the weapons lay unattended gathering dust.
"My father was opposed to the idea of returning the weapons himself," the daughter further added. "He came from another generation, a generation where everyone sought to possess arms to safeguard laws and community regulations. For today's generation this might seem weird, as we concentrate on taking care of ourselves."
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