Gun control in Israel has some interesting parallels with gun control in the US, and they got caught with their pants down. Instead of fixing the underlying problem, they handicapped and punished law-abiding citizens.
Would having the populous armed stop an attack of this proportion? Probably not, but it may have given some people a fighting chance.
Israel Disarmed Civilians
Israel had not only disarmed civilians but also disarmed what they call security teams, which differ from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Everyone in Israel is required to serve in the military, so they train everyone on how to use a firearm.
A few days ago, I wrote an article highlighting the restrictions on private citizens owning firearms in Israel. A few hours after publishing that article, Israel took it further. It said it would issue 10,000 assault weapons to security teams.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had taken firearms away from these same civilian security teams over the past three years because of repeated theft. When the attacks began, the security teams had no weapons to protect themselves except for a few handguns.
One individual said, “The IDF took our rifles recently, they left us with just a few. We repelled a Hamas commando terror cell with just pistols.”
Israeli Civilian Security Teams
Civilian security teams protect small towns and communities in Israel’s outlying areas and West Bank settlements. Some teams tried to protect civilians against the Hamas attack on Saturday before the IDF could help. They had handguns to defend themselves against well-armed attackers with rifles and other small arms. The attackers had way more firepower.
Aside from that, regular citizens have been applying through the government website to get a firearm, and Gun Owners of America reported the site was down for a while. Because of that, people couldn’t apply for a license. You’d think at times like this, they’d speed things up.
?BREAKING?
Israel's licensing portal is down—leaving qualified individuals unable to apply to carry a firearm for defense during a terrorist invasion.
Translation⤵️
It is temporarily not possible to fill out the form
Please try again later
We apologize for the inconvenience pic.twitter.com/oNWeBZSSqq— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) October 11, 2023
This person Tweeted the process isn’t going smoothly: “I have written about it dozens of times. Twenty-two residents are waiting for approval for a gun. Everyone will finance their own gun. Some just need a permit for a firearm. Please help.” He’s not the only one that has said licensing is being delayed.
In a related article, Scott Kirshner, President of Dedicated Threat Solutions, talked about kidnapping and the risk involved if they move you to a secondary location. Again, these people were unarmed.
Do you think it can’t happen in the US?
If you think something can’t happen here, you’re not watching the news. Some militant groups that are killing people are no bigger than a typical street gang. Add to that the unknowns flooding across the border, and the potential is there. Are we likely to see anything of the magnitude that’s going on in Israel, highly doubtful but that doesn’t mean risks don’t exist.
Instead of fixing the root cause of the problem, politicians added more gun control, leaving people defenseless. They disarmed everyone, including law-abiding citizens and security forces, with training.
Instead of Israel’s politicians trying to disarm everyone, why not solve the theft problem? The law-abiding citizens, as always, were left to fend for themselves with nothing to use except, in some places, a few handguns.
Solve Underlying Issues of Violence Instead of Adding More Gun Control
The United States is heading down the same path. Instead of solving the underlying issues, politicians want to disarm everyone and hope it works. Just look at Gov Grisham, who decided to single-handedly pretend the Second Amendment doesn’t exist and make HER own rules.
In times of emergency or widespread events, it’s essential to remember that no one is coming to save you. You are your own first responder.
Tight gun control laws in Israel and Ukraine have undoubtedly resulted in the deaths of many people. These incidents highlight the importance of the Second Amendment in protecting everyone.