With the expected influx into Judea and Samaria of thousands of terrorists freed from Israeli prisons as a result of the Gaza ceasefire, citizens and security forces alike would do well to review the government’s rules of engagement (ROE).
To shoot or not to shoot becomes the question, as the ROE changed after the October 7 massacre. In response to heightened security concerns, Israeli authorities relaxed gun-licensing laws, facilitating the arming of civilians. This policy shift aimed to enhance personal and community security in the face of potential threats.
Prior to the October 7 massacre, more than 160,000 people were registered to carry personal weapons in Israel. Immediately afterward, 260,000 new applications were submitted.
The number of civilians who have been issued carry permits so far this year has not been released, but with the loosening of the regulations, that number has likely grown.
Knowing when to shoot is the most important responsibility of gun ownership.
Gun ownership in Israel
During the recent stabbing in Tel Aviv, a female civilian shot the terrorist.
After two masked young Jewish men were reportedly shot at close range by an Israeli police officer as Jews rioted in the Palestinian towns of Jinsafut and Al-Funduq in Samaria, the question of whether it was an appropriate shooting is again being explored.
The riots occurred where three Jews were recently murdered, and several were wounded after terrorists opened fire on Jewish-owned cars and a bus as it rode through Al-Funduq. Until then, there had been nonviolent protests by Jewish activists in the town, but when Jews began setting fire to Arab property, the army and fire departments were called to deal with the situation.
Investigations are underway to determine who was involved in the shootings, but the two victims were reportedly in critical condition at hospitals in central Israel.
According to a mother in Samaria who shared her thoughts in a WhatsApp group, since the murders in Al-Funduq, protest vigils have been held at the murder site and are attended by teenagers from all over the area. She did not attend that particular vigil but mulled over the feelings of her children in her message.
“As a mother, I need to somehow mediate to my children the frequent murder of their neighbors by Arabs in the area,” she said. “I need to explain to my children how the terrorists here in the villages have countless weapons and why the army is unable to prevent the murders.
“And I’m not very successful. I can’t explain it to myself, so how can I explain it to them? And there is a lot of frustration surrounding the rivers of Jewish blood spilled along the roads we drive on every day.
“But as a mother, I have to tell them something. I owe them an explanation. And so I explain to them that despite the helplessness in dealing with the murderers and their helpers, it is absolutely forbidden for civilians to take the law into their own hands.
“As a mother, I explain to them that despite the great frustration, the role of deterrence is that of the army, not that of private individuals. As a mother, I explain to them that it is absolutely forbidden to harm Arabs and their property – because we are not them.”
She said it was extremely frustrating to see Jewish blood being spilled like water, watching (ineffective) fences surround Jewish villages to stave off rocks and Molotov cocktails, hearing about thousands of terrorists being released into the region, and listening to people justify terrorism because of their choice to live in Samaria.
She said she reminds them of the words of Ovadia Bakr from Kibbutz Be’eri, whose wife and son were murdered in the October 7 massacre and who was seriously wounded and lost a leg: “It’s lucky that the massacre happened in our enclave, because if it had happened in the territories, I would say they deserved it.”
In response, she said: “So, no. We don’t deserve it. We don’t deserve to be murdered. We don’t deserve to have our spilled blood belittled.”
THE RELAXATION of firearm regulations has empowered civilians to take a more active role in their personal defense, reflecting a shift in domestic security policies. But with that power comes responsibility.
Knowing when to shoot is taught extensively prior to obtaining a gun license and in required annual refresher courses.
“Every defense situation is different,” said Shai Levi, who runs a firing range in Karnei Shomron, where he has trained more than 10,000 civilians in shooting and tactical self-defense since the October 7 massacre. “It’s hard to know if the recent shooting by a police officer was complying with the rules of engagement. That will be up to the lawyers.”
Elhanan Groner of The Jewish Voice published an initial investigation of the incident. He said a policeman and a soldier had chased a group of boys on foot, who they suspected had committed arson in the village.
The policeman and the soldier approached the boys and verbally confronted them. During the confrontation, one of the boys sprayed pepper spray on the policeman, who started shooting. He shot the boys in the heads at point-blank range. Reportedly, the security officer is under house arrest.
“Did he feel threatened?” Levi asked. “Did he think the rioters would take his gun and shoot him? Did he shoot after he was blinded by the pepper spray? The shooting is in the hands of the legal system now.”
There is a difference between enacting vigilante law and between defending yourself or someone else in an emergency. Israeli rules state that gun owners must be trained to use their weapons only under strict conditions of self-defense when there is an immediate and direct threat to life.
In addition, the rules state that any response must be proportionate to the threat level, and that firearms should be a last resort after all other means of de-escalation or retreat have been exhausted.
Levi said when you use your weapon, you must be ready to prove that you had no other choice, and that it was really self-defense.
Every situation must be judged on its own, he said, adding: “If someone is driving down the road and terrorists throw rocks at him, is that a reason to use your gun? Not necessarily. If you can drive away, that is usually best.
“However, during the Second Intifada, when I was driving on a road in Samaria, I encountered a roadblock made of stones. Terrorists approached from both sides of the road, and it was clear they were attempting a lynching. I used my gun.”
The Israeli officer most likely had a body cam, so the facts should become ascertainable, he said.
The mother from Samaria said when her children ask her why we cannot do anything about Arabs murdering us, she answers: “We can only demonstrate and pray, but the responsibility to do something lies solely with the security forces – what a messed-up reality.”