Israel had some pretty strict gun control and had it for quite some time.

That went out the window when Hamas crossed out of Gaza and started attacking people in kibbutzes and at music festivals, though. It seems someone in the government got wise to the fact that unarmed Israelis weren’t able to shoot back at terrorist invaders.

But not everyone is thrilled with the adjusted rules–they’re not completely revamped because that would require legislation.

No, Adalah, a legal group representing Arab interests in Israel, has a major problem with it.

New regulations drastically expand the number of Jewish Israelis who are eligible to bear arms passed by Knesset committee amid state emergency. National Security Minister Ben-Gvir to heavily arm Jewish civilians and institute militias that will operate with impunity.

On 15 October 2023, the Knesset’s National Security Committee approved new regulations that significantly relax the requirements for civilians to acquire firearms, as a step in the government’s broader plan to arm Jewish Israeli civilians.

The new regulations, introduced by the Ministry of National Security, headed by the leader of the radical right-wing Jewish Power party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who claims that this move will make an additional 400,000 individuals eligible, almost exclusively Jewish Israeli citizens.

…

The tactic of arming civilians is imported from Israeli settlers in the West Bank, as a means of exercising control through terror. For years, settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank enabled by Israeli forces has been a near daily occurrence. Crimes committed by armed settlers almost never result in prosecution, let alone a conviction. Since 7 October 2023, settler violence in the West Bank has been rampant and escalating continuously. There have been over 70 reported settler attacks in the West Bank and at least five Palestinians have been killed by armed settlers.

Now, if that is, in fact, going on, that’s a problem. No one should be shot and killed except in self-defense.

However, since Hamas has a history of misrepresenting facts, blaming Israel for its own mistakes, and using people as human shields whereas Israel doesn’t, I’m pretty sure which side I’m likely to believe on this.

The truth is that Adalah doesn’t seem to want Palestinian terrorists shot while attacking civilian targets.

That’s really what’s on the table right here and now.

Hamas decided one morning that it wanted to get rowdy and a lot of their people got shot by armed Israelis and now the government is adjusting things so more Israelis can be armed. And since this is happening, a lot of Israelis will buy guns and start carrying them, all so they can pop a terrorist if the need arises.

Yet let’s say Adalah is right and settlers are shooting Palestinians for no reason and not being prosecuted for it. Putting more guns in the hands of law-abiding Israelis isn’t going to change that aspect. That’s a different matter that should be handled that has nothing to do with guns. Murder is murder, if it’s happening, and it should be viewed as the act of a person, not an object.

But again, Adalah is representing and defending the group of people who literally beheaded babies. You’ll pardon me if I’m not eager to view Palestinians as the victims here.