This week marks one year since the brutal attacks in southern Israel that killed over 1200 Jews. While Hamas was unquestionably the aggressor, it quickly became clear that Israeli gun control was a major contributing factor that helped facilitate the high casualty rate of the attack.
With that in mind, it's critical that any observer interested in avoiding a similar fate ensure that they have the ability and resources necessary to defend themselves. That starts with scrapping gun control.
Prior to the Hamas attacks, many anti-gun advocates both in the U.S and abroad championed Israel’s gun control policies, citing them as a model for the world to mimic. Applicants for gun permits were required to demonstrate “good cause” and were limited to a single firearm and a maximum of fifty rounds of ammunition.
On top of that, around 40% of applicants were denied their permit. These highly restrictive policies left thousands of Jews vulnerable on October 7th. The chilling effect this can have on many thousands (if not millions) more who would otherwise like to own a firearm cannot be understated.
Additionally, prior to the attack, many bragged about the impenetrable walls and armed security in the Kibbutzes along the border, in another attempt to argue that personal firearms were not necessary. Sadly, there are countless examples from the attack where innocent people were left defenseless with no one coming to save them in a timely manner. Many were brutally slaughtered.
One outlier occurred in a Kibbutz where Inbal Lieberman quickly organized local residents, stationing armed civilians behind fences and gates. Hamas lost 25 terrorists at that Kibbutz, while the Israelis lost none. Sadly, examples like this were few and far between.
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Immediately after October 7th, Israel recognized the impact gun control had on citizens’ ability to respond. Citizens rushed to gun stores en masse to purchase firearms. In some cities, long lines were seen snaking around buildings. The national security minister even personally oversaw the distribution of 10,000 so-called “assault weapons,” and the overall rhetoric was encouraging.
Frustratingly however, old habits die hard. While permit applications are through the roof (20 years worth of applications were filed in just the first month after the attack), eligibility requirements remain and ammo limits were only boosted to 100 rounds. That’s just a light day at the range for many here stateside!
Here’s the unfortunate truth that anti-gunners struggle to accept: when one finds themself in a dangerous situation, a firearm is their best chance to defend themselves and other innocent bystanders. Just last week, in Israel of all places, terrorists began a deadly shooting and stabbing spree in Tel Aviv, leaving over half a dozen dead. Then, a bystander and reservist with the Israeli Defense Forces drew his personal firearm and forced the terrorists to flee upon taking fire.
This man’s story and the lesson from it should be promoted far and wide: you are your best first responder.
These lessons from Israel, both from last year and this past week, are critical for Americans to consider when they approach the ballot box this November. Here at home, the Harris-Walz ticket has made quite clear by their words and past actions that they are no friend of the Second Amendment. In turn, their policy platform would leave American citizens defenseless in the face of growing unrest and rising crime, particularly in urban areas where carrying firearms is already difficult.
On top of that, they are proposing to ban the most popular semiautomatic firearm in America, the AR-15, and have supported the confiscation of those rifles already in circulation. Tens of millions of these rifles are out there today, and used for various reasons, including self-defense.
One instance in Florida from a few years prior is especially compelling and offers important context to the debate. In 2019, a woman who was eight months pregnant used her AR-15 to fend off armed robbers who were threatening her husband and daughter. This weapon is a frequent weapon of choice for women due to its ease of use and light recoil, but Kamala Harris could care less.
Our rights here at home are under constant threat, and voters must keep that in mind when they head to the polls. With that in mind, Israel presents the perfect case study for all observers to draw lessons from, ones that confirm the dangers of gun control for innocent civilians. When seconds count, police are minutes away.
Erich Pratt is the Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, a no-compromise grassroots lobbying organization with over 2 million members and supporters nationwide.
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