Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday urged licensed Israeli gun owners to publicly arm themselves as he detailed various measures taken following three deadly terrorist attacks last week.
“Citizens of Israel, we are witnessing a wave of murderous terrorism right now,” Bennett said in a video statement.
“What is expected of you, citizens of Israel? vigilance and responsibility. Open your eyes. For anyone licensed to carry a gun, now is the time to carry it,” he said.
A Palestinian terrorist killed five people in Bnei Brak on Tuesday. Earlier attacks in Hadera on Sunday and Beersheba last Tuesday killed six Israelis. The wave of violence marked Israel’s highest number of terrorist attacks in such a short period of time since 2006.
Bennett said the Israel Defense Forces and the broader security institute took immediate steps to improve intelligence to prevent the next attack.
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“The IDF, the Shin Bet and the Israeli police have significantly increased their intelligence operations to reach in time those planning attacks,” he said. “We have also increased the presence of uniformed and armed men across the country.”
Mourners attend the funeral of Avishai Yehezkel, one of five people killed in a terrorist attack in Bnei Brak on March 30, 2022 (Menahem KAHANA / AFP)
The prime minister added that the police had switched to emergencies and that the IDF would reinforce the police force “with 15 companies of our best soldiers.”
Other law enforcement reinforcements include a new police motorcycle response unit, the type of unit that eliminated the terrorist in Bnei Brak on Tuesday, he noted.
The border police are also being reinforced with three more companies, including one near the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military stationed in the West Bank and along the Seam Line was reinforced with 15 battalions, “a very sizeable force,” Bennett noted.
“So far, our armed forces have conducted more than 200 investigative or arresting operations. The terrorist’s house in Ya’abad has already been mapped for demolition and we are working to demolish it as soon as possible to create deterrence,” he said.
He also ordered a crackdown on illegal guns in Arab communities and anyone with ties to Islamic State, including preventive arrests. The attackers in Hadera and Beersheba have both claimed links to the jihadist group.
Israeli soldiers patrol March 30, 2022 after a deadly terrorist attack in Bnei Brak, a village near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. (AFP)
“There is no limit to the resources” that should be used to fight terrorism, Bennett said.
He said most soldiers on compulsory, career and reserve duty would carry their weapons home when on leave from base, which is usually optional or not allowed by most units.
Bennett’s comments mark the second apparent change in Israel’s stance on gun ownership since last week.
After the deadly Beersheba terrorist attack that killed four Israelis, police said they would relax the gun policy for civilians involved in neutralizing terrorists, after sparking a minor controversy by asking as part of their Investigations temporarily confiscated pistols from civilians who shot the terrorist.
Under the new procedure, police said a civilian whose gun is brought in for forensic examination after being involved in neutralizing a terrorist would be escorted home by police officers and issued with a new handgun in an expedited procedure.
A suspected attacker was shot dead in Beersheba on March 22, 2022. (Screenshot: Twitter)
Bennett urged the Israeli public to stay strong in the face of the deadliest wave of terror to hit the country since the Second Intifada.
“Citizens of Israel, we are witnessing a wave of murderous terrorism and, as in all previous waves, we will prevail together,” he said.
“This is neither our first nor our second wave of terror. We have combat experience. When put to the test, Israeli society knows how to show composure, remain resilient and rise to the occasion. We cannot be broken.”
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