It is full speed in the small arms shop in the settlement of Givat Zeev in the occupied West Bank. – It is absolutely insane, the thousand percent increase, says Yair Iftach to news. – Neither the army nor the police were there when the terrorists from Gaza arrived. Now people want to arm themselves, to be ready, he says. An Israeli flag hangs on the wall in the shop. Under the glass on the counter are a number of handguns. A crossbow hangs above the ceiling. The black T-shirt the arms dealer is wearing says “shooting instructor” in white letters. At an indoor shooting range, customers are helped to test which weapon is best for them. – It mostly goes for Glock at around 4,600 shekels, says Yair Iftach. This corresponds to around NOK 13,000 for the Austrian pistol model. On his head above the graying bangs sit two safety glasses, two pink earplugs hang from a yellow string around his neck and Photo: Eirik Pessl-Kleiven / news Lowering the requirements to obtain weapons Two days after the shock attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October, the country’s controversial security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir a campaign to arm as many civilians as possible. Ben-Gvir, who leads the ultra-nationalist party Jødisk Makt, will distribute 10,000 weapons to the settlers in the occupied West Bank. And he wants to make it easier for everyone to be able to get a gun licence. According to the Israeli TV channel Channel 13, 150,000 applications for weapons licenses have been received since 7 October. In comparison, there were 42 applications in the same period last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also asked Israelis to carry weapons. Iftach’s gun shop is flooded with customers while news is there. Photo: Eirik Pessl-Kleiven / news Israel initially has a strict weapons law, but the government has made it easier for private individuals to acquire weapons. Among other things, the physical one-to-one interview has been dropped in favor of a telephone interview. Civilians can apply for and get an approved weapons license after one week. – But the government does not give weapons to everyone. They still check your background and you have to pass tests. In addition, you must have done military service, have weapons training, a clean record, knowledge of Hebrew, a medical certificate – and be mentally stable, explains the arms dealer. To obtain a firearms licence, applicants must go through shooting training with authorized instructors. Photo: Eirik Pessl-Kleiven Yair Iftach believes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bears a large part of the responsibility for the country having ended up in this situation. He says that there are many good Palestinians and that many in the Gaza Strip do not support Hamas either. – The army failed to protect us Odelia Ben Mamon works on a daily basis arranging weddings. Set the table and decorate the premises. And make it beautiful with flowers. Now she has applied for a license to carry an M16. An automatic rifle which, since the end of the 1960s in various versions, has been the standard weapon of the American armed forces. Ben Mamon learned to use weapons herself in the army and says she is ready to use them again. Odelia Ben Mamon has chosen to acquire weapons. She lives near the occupied West Bank. Photo: Eirik Pessl-Kleiven / news She grew up in Sderot, the city located a few kilometers from the Gaza Strip. Now she lives in the settlement of Kfar HaOranim, on the border with the occupied West Bank. Close by are three Palestinian villages. It never felt like a problem. Mamon says that she has always had a good relationship with her Palestinian neighbours. Now she feels things have changed. That you no longer know who you can trust. Nor the army, which until now has been seen as a security guarantee. – That’s why I have to do my part to protect the family in our own home. 1,400 people were killed when Hamas fighters attacked Israeli towns, villages and kibbutzim in southern Israel. Several of them were children. 241 people were taken hostage and are still being held captive somewhere in the Gaza Strip. The amount of weapons scares Israel has responded to the Hamas attack with massive bombings and a tightening of the blockade of the Palestinian area. According to the Hamas-run health authorities, over 9,700 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli retaliation. 4,000 of them will be children. – I think the Arabs also have the right to a life. A mother in Gaza cares about her children as much as I care about mine, she says. – Do I think we can live together in peace? I don’t know, but I hope so, says Odelia. – At the same time, the terrorist attacks have become part of our lives. This is the life we know, she says. – And now there will be many weapons in Israeli society. Do you think there is a problem? – I can’t tell you that it doesn’t bother me. It is disturbing. – But are you ready to kill if you have to? – Yes. If someone comes and threatens me, I’m not going to hesitate or think twice. I will do everything to keep my children, she says.
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Israelis are buying private weapons like never before – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
