Once upon a time, before October 7, I thought that allowing civilians to buy and own guns was definitely not a desirable step. There are many cases in which such a weapon could be used to harm innocent people, lead to the murder of women suffering domestic violence, cause unnecessary bullet discharges, and more. The reality practiced in the US – where any person, provided he/she does not have a criminal record, is allowed to purchase firearms – is certainly a worthy example of the grim reality that may arise when someone’s unstable mental state and/or murderous ideology could lead to the murder of innocent civilians.
However, following October 7 and the atrocities perpetrated that day against unarmed and harmless civilians, including gang rapes, beheadings, murders, carnage, and massacre, my worldview has changed. Not only have I asked for a personal license for owning and carrying a firearm, but I also practice, methodically, at the range, in order to make sure that I become very skilled at using it, if necessary. Furthermore, I welcome the plan led by the ministry of National Security for the establishment of an orderly and wide array of armed local emergency units, whose civilian members undergo professional training in order to protect cities, towns, and villages across the country.
The State of Israel has an excellent army, one of the best in the Western world. Any thoughts to the contrary, which may have arisen before the horrific events of the past month, have vanished given the courage, determination, wisdom, and fighting spirit currently seen on the battlefield in Gaza. And that is coupled with a unique characteristic shared by no other army in the world - humanitarianism, despite the unforgiving and often hypocritical criticism seen in the foreign press.
Nonetheless, despite these exceptional qualities, neither the IDF nor the Israel Police forces can provide an individual response to each citizen in real time in the face of the challenges we face – at least not in the first and critical minutes of a potential attack. Hence, responsible handling of private weapons, along with appropriate training, is inevitably needed for self-defense and for the protection of our children.
Making guns, emergency standby squads in Israel more widespread is a good thing
ONE OF the things we learned following the atrocities perpetrated on October 7 is that there is no geographical area in the country that justifies the title “geographic periphery.” The country is small, and the locations for potentially hostile activity are many. Thus, the widespread creation of the aforementioned civilian emergency units – not solely in the South or the North, but throughout the entire country – is important and appropriate. Also important is the fact that the entire operation is overseen and under the overall command of the National Police and that there is, and will continue to be, a well-controlled oversight mechanism. Moreover, there is a need to continue to make sure that all firearm carriers undergo regular professional training, in order to preserve their abilities and repeat the safety instructions relevant to the issue. Yet, most important is the issue of enforcement; that is, the constant control over weapon carriers – their conduct, compliance with the conditions, and prevention and arrest if they violate any of the procedures. For this purpose, a much more significant number of officers and personnel is needed than that which currently exists in the Firearms Division of the ministry of National Security and in the Israeli National Police forces.
Much has been written about the severe shortage of police forces in the country. During Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021, when the streets ignited in the mixed Arab-Jewish cities and then beyond, the lack of police officers was evident. Too little was done following those events to change the situation. In order to shorten the time frame for integrating police officers into the police force, the training of police officers was shortened to mere weeks, which does not allow for proper training at all, and the criteria for accepting new police officers became less strict.
This “band-aid” solution is faulty and far from sufficient. A national and strategic plan is needed to strengthen the policing mechanisms in the country, including raising the salaries of police officers, who clearly risk their lives for the protection of Israeli civilians – a fact that became abundantly clear during the recent horrific attacks in the South. The criteria for accepting police officers into the ranks of the organization must be maintained and become even stricter, rather than softer, in order to preserve the level and quality of those who protect the citizens. It is also important to allocate a budget for their enrichment and training including additional courses, as well as creative and out-of-the-ordinary tools with which to perform their work, due to the extraordinary challenges facing Israelis. Police officers must be tasked not only with protecting, but also with enforcing the law in a non-aggressive manner on the one hand, while at the same time, in a manner completely unforgiving of any violence.
THIS, UNFORTUNATELY, was not been the case before October 7, due to a lack of manpower, a lack of funding, as well as a too-tolerant culture. From now on, it is key that the policy of zero tolerance towards any kind of incitement – on social networks, in houses of worship, and more– which the police began to enforce after October 7, will indeed continue. It is just as important to make sure that violence of any kind is treated with severity, whether in schools, on the roads, or anywhere else.
Furthermore, there must be a proactive, systematic and uncompromising national effort to collect all illegal weapons from criminals, given the fact that over the last few years, tens of thousands of them have been being held mostly by Arab-Israeli citizens. Until now, the criminals among them have used their weapons mainly against other Arab citizens – a serious and horrid phenomenon in and within itself. However, these weapons could one day be used against Jewish citizens out of nationalistic or ideological considerations or simply because a foreign role-player, with completely foreign interests – for instance, Iran – would be willing to pay generously for such violence.
In conclusion, given the current complex reality, Israel must allow and even encourage the arming of citizens, but, at the same time, invest careful thought, planning, and execution to the confiscation of illegal weapons and make the strict law enforcement that began the day after October 7 permanent policy.
The writer is a former MK from the Blue and White party, a former adviser to president Shimon Peres, and past deputy ambassador in Cairo.