Old North News

Crime researcher Dr. John Lott said Israel allowed private gun ownership specifically to help cover possible terrorist targets, as country loosens gun restrictions in order to arm citizenry.

“In 1972, what happened was Israel realized that they simply couldn't cover all the possible targets,” said Lott on WBT Charlotte’s “The Vince Coakley Radio Program.” “And so they started to allow civilians to be able to go and carry guns.”

“And over the decades, you've had as high as 12 or 14 percent of the adult Jewish population being able to go and carry guns for protection.”

In response to last week’s terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel, the country announced an “emergency operation” to arm more citizens. 

"Today I directed the Firearms Licensing Division to go on an emergency operation, in order to allow as many citizens as possible to arm themselves," National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted on X, former Twitter. "The plan will take effect within 24 hours."

That follows a measure in January of this year to loosen gun restrictions following attacks by Palestinians in Jerusalem. 

Following Hamas’ attacks last week, the Wall Street Journal reported by the Mefalsim kibbutz, in which private citizens with guns protected themselves against the Hamas terrorists.

“No Mefalsim residents were killed or taken hostage, protected by a dozen residents, many of them former Israeli soldiers, who had prepared for years to defend the kibbutz,” reported the Journal. 

Lott, a former official in the U.S. Justice Department, is founder of the Crime Prevention Research Center. He is the former chief economist at the United States Sentencing Commission and holds a Ph.D. in economics from UCLA. Lott has authored ten books, including, “More Guns, Less Crime.”