We can never unsee the hellish scenes of Oct. 7. And now the country finds itself amid the most potentially disastrous ceasefire and hostage-for-bloodthirsty-terrorist prisoner exchange in the state’s history.
The exchange translates into thousands of convicted murderers being unleashed, putting the burden of defense into the hands of every Israeli citizen.
Not all Israelis are allowed to carry guns; and even if they were, how does someone who has never pulled a trigger in his life suddenly learn to do so safely and effectively? How does one assess a potential terrorist event as it unfolds?
Are there ways of identifying and training to respond to potential threats in an appropriate, safe manner to address and soothe justifiable fears?
Where are terrorists most likely to strike? Who are their most likely targets? When and how should individuals be on guard?
How do those who have never served in the army – civilians young and old, parents, and grandparents – learn to navigate in this new ceasefire Israel?
Brooklyn-born Chaim Mandel began practicing martial arts at the age of six, came to Israel to study at 18, and became a citizen six years later. Although he never joined the IDF, he kept training, learning many techniques, which included a Russian method called Systema, as well as Silat, Kali, and Aikido. Besides leading the kitat konenut (local safety squad) in Givat Ze’ev, since Oct. 7 he has been giving lessons to civilians throughout the Jerusalem area, teaching awareness and self-defense.
Mandel explains that the most important factor in being able to defend yourself is being aware of your environment.
First step: awareness
Mandel describes an imaginary color-coding technique for plotting one’s awareness. The “white zone” is being completely oblivious to one’s surroundings; the “yellow zone” is being relaxed but aware; and the “orange zone” is being aware to the point of being frightened and even paranoid.
“People should work to keep themselves in the yellow zone,” he explains. “Relaxed, but able to respond quickly to anything happening around them.”
David Stern, a former US Marine from New York and IDF sniper, who now heads security in Itamar and trains soldiers, was the target of a shooting attack while driving through the Samarian Arab town of Huwara with his wife. Thanks to his training, instincts, and preparation, Stern was able to shoot and disable the terrorist, although he, too, was hit.
Stern says that as soon as he stopped his car to let a man cross the street, he was in the yellow zone.
“I noticed his stare and his hand,” he recalls, remembering that the man seemed to be staring aggressively, and his hand seemed to fall in an unnatural position.
“The moment you notice something suspicious, you move your mind to condition orange. This is a critical stage. Check the intent... What’s in his hand, what’s in his head? Hone in on the element that you have to check. A terrorist has many advantages over his victim. We have to give ourselves permission – unlock many ‘locks’ to access our own ability to use violence. For the terrorist, those locks are wide open. Many will say, ‘I knew it was a terror attack but I just didn’t have the time to react.’ By then, it was too late.”
Stern says that when our awareness levels move up to zone orange, we transcend our tendencies to judge the situation and instead move into action mode.
“We say to ourselves, ‘If x, then y,’” he explains. “If he has a gun in his hand, I’m going to shoot. Give yourself permission to do what has to be done. At this point, judgment should no longer enter the picture. There is no time for it.”
In his situation, when less than three meters away the terrorist on the crosswalk turned and raised a Carlo (submachine gun manufactured in the Palestinian territories), Stern pulled his pistol. They began shooting at exactly the same time. The terrorist’s gun was set to automatic. Stern was shot four times but managed to discharge 13 bullets and wound the terrorist. One of Stern’s shots caught the terrorist in the arm, forcing him to drop his weapon.
Stern says that moving from stage to stage of awareness should be a natural progression as people go about their daily activities. The only time they should be completely oblivious should be inside their locked homes.
Shai Levi is a Krav Maga expert and head of Shooting Range Karnei Shomron, where he has trained over 10,000 civilians in shooting and tactical self-defense since Oct. 7 and many more prior to that. He concurs about lack of awareness being a huge problem.
“People walk around with headphones, their ears plugged, or they are staring at their phones as they walk, instead of looking ahead at what might be coming at them,” Levi says. When his son walked by him, with headphones completely distracting him from his environment, Levi swatted him. The teen stopped in his tracks, outraged.
“If I had been a terrorist,” Levi shrugs, “that wouldn’t have ended well.”
Now his son walks around with just one headphone on, leaving the other off.
Levi advises that looking ahead of where you are going and assessing those coming toward you should be part of everyone’s consciousness.
Older people, he says, tend to look down at the sidewalk as they walk. But, Levi cautions, they should make every effort to look all around and especially at what might be coming at them.
“Not everybody carries a gun, and many may not be fit to fight with their hands, but everyone has the ability to fight with their knowledge,” the Krav Maga expert explains.
“And that is why awareness is the first step. Awareness and preparedness,” he says.
In Stern’s case, he had not been the initial target. The terrorist had seen some soldiers on the street. His plan had been to shoot them. He went into the mosque to pray. When he came out, the soldiers were gone. Instead, as he crossed the street, he saw Stern’s car and noticed that his wife, wearing a hair covering, was identifiably Jewish. Stern noticed him staring at their car, his hand in an odd position, and was alerted.
“A terrorist will profile his or her victims and prey on the easiest ones,” Levi says. “These are the ones staring at their cellphones, women who are distracted, old people, handicapped people, children, and sometimes ordinary people, like the ones recently in Tel Aviv who were just having a night out.”
Not only must you be aware of your surroundings, but Levi suggests you make note of others in your vicinity who may be conspicuously unaware.
“A soldier staring at his phone is an especially high-profile target,” Levi explains. “A soldier who is aware is likely to be spotted but should be ready and able to respond. A soldier who is oblivious is a coveted prize for the shaheed [martyr] – a quality pigua [terror attack]. That means if you stand next to a distracted soldier, you can become a secondary target,” he says.
“We all hope never to have to do the things I train people to do, but still, we need to be ready for that,” explains Mandel. “I teach people to stay relaxed, even during the stress of a situation. Learn how to fight and strike. You fight better and strike better when you are in a relaxed place.”
Improvised weaponry
Mandel suggests that people take advantage of tools that may not immediately seem like weapons but can be quite effective, nonetheless.
Improvised weaponry can include a glass of beer or a hot cup of coffee flung at a terrorist who is charging with a knife. Your clothing or the attacker’s clothing could be used to stave off an attack. Hoodies can be pulled down over the attacker’s eyes; and with the right technique, drawstrings and handbags can be used to choke. Knives are illegal.
“According to Israeli law, you are not allowed to carry a knife,” Mandel says. “And even if you have a gun license, if you are found with a knife you can be arrested. A multi-tool is permissible. But I always tell people, ‘Unless you are trained to fight with a knife, even if it is legal, it’s better not to carry one.’”
He recommends that his students invest in a “tactical pen” (a pen made of weapon-grade polymer that doubles as a writing tool and a defense weapon) and a good quality pepper spray – both are legal – and make sure that the date is not expired. His courses contain information on which weapons are permissible to carry and which ones are not. For instance, if you carry a screwdriver or hammer with self-defense in mind, think again. Unless you are working in construction, carrying those items simply for self-defense is illegal.
Mandel’s improvised weapons of choice are a climbing carabiner (a looped clip) tucked in your hand to improve your punch; a 4- or 5-inch pipe; a handful of sand to toss in someone’s eyes; and a phone charger wire (or for the ultra-Orthodox, a gartel – the string belt they wear) to loop over the attacker’s throat.
Watch replays of how terrorist events unfold. That will help you recognize patterns and identify common terrorist behaviors.
SAFETY BEGINS: At home
After so many homes were invaded on Oct. 7, 2023, and even safe rooms were found to be accessible, with doors that closed without locking, the home is the first place to begin a security assessment. The first order of business is to make sure your safe room locks from the inside. If it does not, a two-by-four piece of wood and a hammer should be kept in the safe room to secure the door should a home invasion take place.
Mandel suggests that everyone get to know the potential access points of their home.
“If, for instance, your child knows how to climb up onto the back porch to open and climb through a window into your home, that is an unprotected access point,” he says.
“Know where your potential weapons are kept. Toolboxes are great, you can have more than one – with hatchets, hammers, box cutters, screwdrivers, which can all be used as defensive weapons. In the playroom, even the toy box can have baseball bats,” he continues. “Do an inventory of what you’ve got throughout your home, and hide things that can be used as weapons in places where you might be vulnerable.”
He keeps a knife under his bed, making sure the children can’t access it, and he has a special knife made of polypropylene that hangs in a waterproof container in his shower.
Levi says that given the choice of buying an apartment on a ground floor or a few floors up, he chose the higher floor, recalling that on Oct. 7, all the home invasions took place in ground-floor homes.
“On the lower floor, I would have had to put window bars, and it would have felt like a prison,” he explains. Even if he is in the house, he is insistent that his doors to the outside are always locked, even when his son is just taking the dog for a quick walk around the block. “I told my son, I do not want to have to be surprised by an invader when I’m watching TV in my boxers.”
In the home it is okay, even important, to let one’s guard down and be in the white zone.
“Everyone needs an opportunity to let their hair down,” Stern explains. “Reaction time in the house will be different. If someone breaks my window, then I will have a moment to adjust my reaction time.”
On the street
Levi says the profiling abilities of Israelis from Judea and Samaria are keener than those who live in Tel Aviv and the center of the country. When asked how he can tell if someone is a terrorist, he says it is a gut feeling; he just “knows.” Body language says a lot, he explains.
At a recent meeting at a building site, Levi noticed someone in a construction truck who looked like a Palestinian worker, staring at him in an aggressive manner. The man got out of the truck. Levi, who usually conceals his gun, opened his jacket to expose it and stood with an aggressive posture. The worker immediately stopped staring and walked away.
“Would he have attacked us? Maybe,” he says. But he is confident that his body language effectively mitigated any ideas the man might have had.
“On the street, the earlier a person can spot potential danger, the more options for escape and movement he has,” says Mandel. “Be in the yellow zone – notice.”
Levi says that when he goes to a mall, he immediately notes the exits and plots an escape route, “just in case.”
“Notice where people keep their hands,” Stern says. “It’s always the hands that harm. Typically, if I’m looking around, there is a normal profile of where people keep their hands and what they do with them. People who carry a weapon will absently touch their weapon or pat their belt line where it is concealed, like people who check to make sure they have their wallet. Functioning in this zone of awareness... most of the time is nothing and you move on, but something odd about the hand placement would catch my eye.”
Stern says you have to look at elements – and understand the baseline or rhythm of how people usually act in a particular place, whether it is on a street or in the marketplace.
“At the shuk, a person generally walks around, looking at items in stores and stalls,” he says.
“A predator will be outside the baseline. His eyes are looking at different things. As people are looking at items in the store, he will be hunting for potential victims. There is a difference between someone reading a newspaper in a café versus someone who is pretending to read the newspaper but is really watching people around him. Most often, you will notice that when people stare, they are either criminals or cops. Average people try to avoid staring strongly. ”
Stern recalls the staring terrorist that caught his attention before his attack. “He was tuned in like a predator would stare at his prey.
“Terrorists tend to look for people who are distracted, unaware,” he explains. “Ideally, a group of people deep in laughter and conversation with no idea what’s happening around them, people on their phones.”
In a recent attack, a terrorist bought pizza in Tel Aviv. Eating outside the shop, he scoped out people outside a restaurant across the street. After finishing his pizza, he crossed the street, hand hidden by his side, moved swiftly toward the group of people, and pounced on them, stabbing them with his knife. He ran down the street, where he was shot dead by a gun-toting civilian.
“Terrorists on foot often start on one side of the street and move closer and closer. Most people move decisively from point A to point B. When someone is shuffling around, loitering, and trying to work their way closer and closer to a target, you should notice and move. Understand the baseline for every place. Position yourself in the most protected place that you can,” he advises.
Should we be afraid of our own shadows?
“A person who doesn’t want to pay attention to these things, that’s their choice,” Stern answers. “It’s difficult to change someone’s habits. The fundamental principle is to believe in the threat and take precautions to preempt it. I carried a tourniquet in my pocket for many years. The fact that I had a tourniquet when I was attacked saved my life. I knew it could happen.”
On a bus or train
“There is not much you can do on public transportation, beyond maintaining awareness,” says Mandel. “You can look for people wearing jackets on warm days, or people carrying unusual loads. But the most important thing is to trust your instincts. If you feel something is wrong, don’t get on the bus!”
Mandel recommends the book The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker as a must-read for anyone who discredits intuition. “The book helps develop the skills to do a threat assessment without tipping into paranoia. You don’t read danger into everybody.”
Standing behind cement barricades at bus stops is always a good idea as is keeping a safe distance from anyone who makes you uncomfortable.
Levi suggests you look for loiterers in cars near bus stops. Assess why the car is waiting. If it has no reason to be there, distance yourself.
Report unattended bags, packages, or objects immediately to security personnel. Familiarize yourself with the location of exits, emergency buttons, and escape routes on buses and trains and at stations.
At bus stops, stand in well-lit and busy areas, especially at night. Keep an eye on who is around you. Be cautious of individuals acting suspiciously or monitoring the area. Stay in open spaces rather than tightly packed areas where it’s harder to move quickly if needed.
On trains and light rail, choose seats close to exits, emergency buttons, or where you can see and react quickly to your surroundings. Opt for train cars that have more people, especially during off-peak hours. Don’t hesitate to alert train staff or security if you notice suspicious behavior.
In a car
Drawing a gun while driving is challenging, which is another reason to “appendix carry” the weapon, in front of the hips, on the right for right-handed shooters, and on the left for lefties, when belted into a vehicle.
“Do not sit with a gun loose in your lap or on the seat next to you while driving,” warns Levi. It can fall and distract you. Keep your gun holstered where you can reach it. Knowing when to use the gun while on the road is important, too.
“If someone is driving and terrorists throw rocks at him, is that a reason to use a gun?” Levi asks. “Not necessarily. If you can drive away, that is usually best. However, when, during the Second Intifada I was driving on a road in Samaria, I encountered a roadblock made of stones. Terrorists approached from both sides of the road, attempting a lynch.”
He used his gun appropriately to protect himself.
If you don’t carry a gun, other weapons can be used in a car.
“The car itself is a weapon,” explains Levi. “If someone tries to hurt you, that is one way to defend yourself.”
Mandel suggests storing a large canister of pepper spray, bear spray, or mace in your car. “Bear spray diffuses around 30 feet away and can be used against crowds of people,” he explains. “Just be careful not to spray it inside the car while you are in it – and keep wind conditions in mind so you don’t breathe it [in] yourself.”
“On a dangerous road, don’t stay too close to the car in front of you,” Stern says. Carjackers will stop their car in order to get you to slow down or stop.”
“Always make sure you lock the car as soon as you get into it,” Levi reminds. “Women, especially, have gotten hurt when being pulled out of their cars by force during car thefts. Always turn off [the engine] and lock your car, pocketing the keys when filling up at a gas station. Especially if your purse is on the seat.”
With guns and training
Mandel says, “Being a ‘warrior’ is a foreign concept for most modern Jews, but keep in mind, traditionally Jews have always been warriors.”
Every expert I spoke to agreed that in these times, any able-bodied person who is able to carry a gun should do so.
“It’s clear that we are in an era where we have to make that shift,” Mandel adds. “But carrying a gun is not enough. Training is the key.” Stern suggests that people take as many lessons as possible, “striving to achieve a tangible level of proficiency.”
He adds: “It isn’t just about hitting the target. You have to learn to get the gun into action within one to one and a half seconds and be able to hit what you’re aiming at, with no bullets hitting outside the target.”
Stern and Mandel agree that a pistol should not be worn behind one’s back and that it should be concealed, as a terrorist scouting for prey is most likely to first shoot someone with a gun to take him out of play. A shirt over the belt line for men, or a fashionable tunic for a woman can conceal the telltale signs of firepower.
Stern recommends that whoever can do so take a short course in first-aid or trauma care and carry some basic supplies – a tourniquet, combat gloves, and a pressure dressing. He also suggests keeping a more sophisticated trauma first-aid kit in one’s car.
Stern and other American military personnel interviewed say they always keep a bullet in the chamber of their gun. However, this is not a good idea for amateurs, as it can result in accidental shootings.
“Training in the US,” Stern says, “they teach that the average self-defense situation with a pistol incorporates ‘three meters, three seconds, and three shots.’ It happens that quickly, and then it is over.
“Once you introduce speed into the exercise,” Stern says, “you begin to develop the ability to respond. A life-changing tragic event can happen in a matter of moments.” He knows this from personal experience.
Meanwhile, Stern continues to teach soldiers and civilians shooting fundamentals, mindset, and medical training, as well as conducting simulations. The terrorist he wounded was saved, and they were treated at the same hospital. The terrorist was later sent to prison.
Will he be released in the hostage-prisoner exchange? Stern doesn’t know.
Who can own a gun: Legalities of Israeli firearm ownership
On October 15, 2023, just eight days after the massacre, the Knesset approved relaxed gun laws, making it easier to obtain a personal firearm. In addition to 100,000 permits already in place prior to Oct. 7, according to Shai Levi, manager of the Karnei Shomron Gun Range, the National Security Ministry received over 250,000 gun permit applications since, bringing the estimated total of gun owners to approximately 300,000 nationwide.
Eligibility requirements
To qualify for a firearm license, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be a resident of Israel for at least three years
- Be at least 27 years old (or 21 if they have completed military service)
- Have proficiency in written and spoken Hebrew
- Have no criminal record
- Provide a valid reason for carrying a firearm, such as working in security, residing in a high-risk area, or holding a job that requires a weapon (e.g., hunter, exterminator, tour guide)
Application process
Applications must be submitted online at www.mops.gov.il.
The following documents must be submitted:
- Proof of residence in a municipality requiring additional security
- A health declaration signed by a physician
- A copy of the applicant’s teudat zehut (Israeli ID) and its attachment (sefach)
- Employment records or other relevant documentation proving eligibility
Approval steps
- 1. Expedited interview: A short interview with a Security Office representative conducted over the phone
- 2. Permit & payment: If approved, the applicant receives a permit letter and must pay an application fee
- 3. Gun range training: With the permit and proof of payment, the applicant must:
- Take a firearms safety course at a gun range
- Pass a proficiency test demonstrating basic gun handling skills
- Select a firearm and shoot 50 rounds for final approval
- 4. Final processing & pickup: Once all requirements are met, an email notification confirms the license approval, and the applicant may collect his firearm
- 5. Secure storage: The firearm must be stored in a bolted-down safe at home.