Ben Gvir says Tel Aviv attack response justifies his push for more guns for civilians
National security minister says terror incident ‘proves importance’ of public firearms; opposition leaders condemn attack, join praise for armed passerby who shot the terrorist
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Tuesday that a terror attack in Tel Aviv vindicated his push to have more Israelis carry guns, after an armed civilian shot and killed the attacker, who injured seven people in a stabbing and ramming spree.
“I congratulate the brave citizen who neutralized the terrorist, cutting the attack short and saving lives,” Ben Gvir said on Twitter.
“This again proved the importance and effectiveness of citizens carrying guns,” Ben Gvir said. “I call on the public who meet the criteria: carry guns.”
Gun control in Israel has traditionally been relatively strict, with licenses generally only granted to those who can show a need for extra security in their line of work or daily life. Citizens in nearly all cases can own a single gun and only 50 bullets at a given time.
Under current guidelines, military service entitles an applicant to a gun license only if they served in combat infantry units.
However, in recent months Ben Gvir has proposed dramatically expanding the criteria to include any veteran of combat service, including those who served in armored and artillery units and the Border Police, along with Hesder yeshiva students — who do a shortened military stint and also spend time studying in yeshiva — and Magen David Adom ambulance service volunteers.
Some 22,000 Israelis have applied for gun licenses in recent months, Channel 12 news reported on Tuesday night, and some 18,000 of the applications have been granted.
As national security minister, Ben Gvir oversees the police force, and the Border Police.
Other Israeli politicians also condemned the attack on Tuesday and said the country needed to unite in the face of terror.
“Our enemies want to hurt us in Tel Aviv, in Eli, and everywhere in the Land of Israel, and we need to show unity and determination against them — in Tel Aviv, in Eli, and everywhere in the Land of Israel,” said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the far-right Religious Zionism party. Four Israelis were killed last month in a shooting attack near the West Bank settlement of Eli.
“Our heroic fighters are working even at this time to hit the terrorists and their emissaries in Jenin and we pray for their safety and success,” Smotrich said. “The Israel Defense Forces and security forces will lay their hands on every one of those who wish us evil.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party also congratulated the citizen who shot the terrorist.
“Terror will not vanquish us, we are united and strong in the face of it,” Lapid said.
He extolled the IDF counter-terror operation in Jenin, saying troops were acting “against terror and will continue, at all times and places, to protect our security and peace.”
National Unity party leader Benny Gantz wished a recovery to the victims, applauded the civilian who shot the terrorist, and said the attack was “exactly the reason to deepen the damage to terror infrastructure.”
The leader of the center-left Labor party, Merav Michaeli, condemned the attack, blamed the government and called for a “political agreement” to end violence with the Palestinians.
“Despite all the bragging from the right, this government has brought a worse situation than ever in the lack of security on Israel’s streets,” Michaeli said.
