Israel
proves the NRA's arguments
In reality, Israel's gun policy is
living proof of the arguments the American gun lobby has been making for years.
Tzvi Lev, 15/02/18 20:49
Wednesday's
horrific shooting in Florida has reignited the gun rights debate in the United
States over the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, adopted in 1791,
which states:: "... the right of the People
to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
In the past,
proponents of limiting civilian access to firearms have extolled Israel as
having the proper approach to limiting mass shootings, pointing to the numerous
legal hoops Israelis must jump through in order to be granted a gun license.
"In
Israel, gun ownership is a privilege rather than a right," wrote Public
Radio International in November. "There is no such thing as a right to
bear arms in Israel," the Huffington Post preached after the 2016
shooting in an Orlando nightclub that left 50 dead.
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Newsweek praised
Israel for obligating its citizens to "show genuine cause to carry a
firearm, such as self-defense or hunting". The message is clear: Israel
has the right approach in curtailing access to firearms, and the United States
would be well advised to tread the same path.
In reality,
Israel's gun policy is living proof of the arguments the American gun
lobby has been making for years.
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The
only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. - Wayne
LaPierre
[PHOTO
SOURCE: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/587709]
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Gun rights
advocates contend that the way to stop mass shootings is by ensuring that there
are always well-armed citizens present who can neutralize the shooter. As NRA
chairman Wayne Lapierre always says, "The only
thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun". A
bedrock of the NRA's philosophy is that criminals will always acquire guns
illegally, and draconian gun laws only render law-abiding citizens defenseless.
When the knife intifada erupted in September 2015, the Israeli government's response was to ease the process for the civilian populace to obtain weapons.
Enter Israel: When the knife intifada
erupted in September 2015, the Israeli government's response was to ease the
process for the civilian populace to obtain weapons. After a
particularly bloody Jerusalem shooting attack that killed four, then-Public
Security Minister Gilad Erdan drastically changed the gun laws in order to
significantly raise the number of armed civilians on the streets. Instantly,
graduates of Special Forces units and IDF officers with the rank of Lieutenant
and above were permitted to purchase guns at their will, security guards were
allowed to bring their guns home after work, and the minimum age for a license
was reduced from 21 to 18.
Erdan explained that "civilians
well trained in the use of weapons provide reinforcement in the struggle
against terrorism", while Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat called for every
resident to carry a gun, and was even photographed traveling the city carrying
a Glock 23.
In addition, the overwhelming majority
of terror attacks in Israel are stopped by armed civilians, not law
enforcement. For example, the terrorists in the 2016 Sarona market attack were
stopped by armed passersby. A pistol-carrying tour guide put an end to the
2017 ramming attack in Arnona that left four soldiers dead.
In Israeli eyes, guns are a valuable
deterrent against terrorism. In fact, terrorists have told the Shin Bet
internal security service that they often target haredi Jews due to the high
likelihood that they are unarmed.
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| A
woman holds up a sign with ‘Too many terrorists in prison’ written on one side
and ‘Kill them all’ written on the other during a rally in Tel Aviv on April
19, 2016 to support Elor Azaria. (Photo: Jack Guez/AFP) [PHOTO SOURCE: http://mondoweiss.net/2017/08/israelis-palestinian-attackers/] |
Gun control supporters would answer that
the mandatory military service that every Israeli undergoes justifies the trust
Israel has of its citizens. However, this argument doesn't hold water. The vast
majority of IDF soldiers aren't combat soldiers and are certified as 02
riflemen. To be 02 requires one to shoot between 40 and 70 bullets. The pistol
course needed to obtain a license takes less than four hours. It is a far cry
from the highly trained population that the Left imagines.
Gun control has been proven to be a
dismal failure in Israel. The Israeli Arab communities are rife
with illegal weapons, with some police estimates putting the number of
unlicensed weapons in the Arab sector as high as 500,000. Think about that for
a second: The most heavily guarded borders in the world and a highly
professional Shin Bet are still not enough to prevent criminals from obtaining
illegal firearms.
When terrorists attacked a school in
Maalot in 1974, Israel did not declare every school a gun-free zone. It passed
a law mandating armed security in schools, provided weapons training to
teachers and today runs frequent active shooter drills. There have been
only two school shootings since then, and both have ended with teachers killing
the terrorists.
It is an approach that the Americans
should take to end the constant slaughter of innocents.
INTERNET SOURCE: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/21714
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A IWI Desert Eagle with an aftermarket magazine
surrounded by Magnum Research 50AE JHP bullets and an aftermarket magazine.
[PHOTO SOURCE: http://soldierexecutionerprolifer2008.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/imi-desert-eagle-pistol-weapon-of.html] |
