The National Rifle Association (NRA) has been going on the offensive after taking major criticism for the gun culture in America in the wake of the Newton Massacre. The NRA is fond of saying that, in Israel, there are no school shootings because the Israelis place armed guards at the entrances to every school. Well, the Israelis have responded and told the NRA that the gun laws in Israel are nothing like America’s and that the guards at school wouldn’t help prevent tragedies like Newton.
Israel, contrary to popular belief, has very strict gun laws. There is no right to a gun in Israel, and, in order to get licensed, one must go through extensive screening and training. They also must show cause such as traveling with large amounts of cash, being in a security-related field, and living in a settlement.
The National Rifle Association’s chief executive, Wayne LaPierre , said of the Israeli school system on Meet The Press :
“Israel had a whole lot of school shootings until they did one thing: They said, `We’re going to stop it,’ and they put armed security in every school and they have not had a problem since then.”
First off, Israel has never had a rash of school shootings. There were two terrorists attacks on schools over the course of the last 60 years.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor spelled out the difference between the problems in America and the problems in Israel:
“We’re fighting terrorism, which comes under very specific geopolitical and military circumstances. This is not something that compares with the situation in the U.S.”
Because it is aimed at preventing terror attacks, Israel’s school security system is part of a multi-layered defense strategy that focuses on prevention and doesn’t depend on a guy at a gate with a gun.
The Israelis are also saying that the armed guards are the last line of defense with the intelligence services bearing the brunt of the strategy to stop Palestinian terrorists from attacking schools.
