Much has been written about the proliferation of illegal guns in America. Unfortunately, Israel faces a similar problem with the Arab population and illegal gun possession. In America illegal guns have fueled a crime wave the likes of which have never been seen before. In 2022 crime was up 22% in 2022 New York City. Illegal guns from Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania driven up Interstate 95 on the “Iron Pipeline” to New York have wreaked havoc on the citizens of New York. In Israel most of the illegal guns and terrorists hail from Jenin and Nablus. The source of the illegal guns in Israel is somewhat more complicated.
The Neve Yaakov Massacre of 7 Israelis on the Jewish Sabbath January 27th at the Ateret Avraham Synagogue and the shooting by a 13 year old of a father and son in Silwan the next day highlights the use of illegal guns by Arab terrorists. The Neve Yaakov murders were the worst since the Mercaz HaRav Massacre of 8 students on March 6th 2008 and the Har Nof massacre at the Kehillat Bnei Torah Synagogue on November 18th 2014.
The outset of the transfer of illegal guns in Israel began in 1993 when the Oslo Accords gave guns to the Arabs. Since the Oslo Accords, 300 Israelis were killed in Terrorist incidents from 1993 to 2000. After the Intifada of 2000 to 2005 another 1100 Israelis were murdered. In 2022 there were 300 shooting attacks by Arabs compared to 91 in 2021. Twenty seven Israelis were killed in 2022. The IDF foiled 500 potential terror attacks in 2022.
The removal of check points in Israel leads inevitably to the transfer of illegal guns from Gaza, and Arab villages in Judea and Samaria. Check points are the major deterrent to the proliferation of illegal guns in Israel. In America “stop and frisk” was a significant deterrent to the illegal gun trade. I imagine that New York will institute a form of check points in the six main precincts where 27% of gun crime is rampant.
In Israel many of the the illegal guns have come from Iran. In 2002 Israel captured the Karine-A with 50 tons of weapons headed for Gaza from Iran. In 2009 Israel seized the Antigua flagged vessel named “Francop” with 300 tons of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah. In 2014 Israel intercepted the Klos-C Merchant ship sailing under the Panama flag from Iran to Gaza with advanced missiles and other weapons. On January 7, 2023 the American Navy seized a vessel containing 2100 assault rifles from Iran to the Houthis in Yemen. This represents the tip of the Iceberg. Iran is the main supplier of illegal guns and weapons in the Middle East. Only by finally putting an end to the Iranian exports of illegal weapons will terrorism decrease in Israel. Illegal guns remain an ongoing problem in both America and Israel. The problem can be dealt with if leadership addresses the root causes and sources. Law enforcement in America and the IDF in Israel have their work cut out to bring this epidemic to an end.