Glock pistol (illustrative)
Glock pistol (illustrative)Thinkstock

A raft of new security measures have been approved to protect Members of Knesset as the wave of Arab terrorism continues.

Knesset officer Brigadier General Yossi Griff announced Tuesday that the Knesset will soon acquire an armored Skoda vehicle to further secure MKs, to the tune of 1.6 million shekel ($414,234). 

In addition, Border Patrol officers will be armed with 70 new Glocks, he added; they will be allowed to keep their weapons and carry them around even while off duty. 

Griff noted that MKs have increased visits to Judea, Samaria, and Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem, and that any such visit must be coordinated with committees as well as close monitoring from the Knesset guard - and an armored vehicle convoy. 

To date, the Knesset has four armored vehicles for MKs' use; two of them are being used by Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and Opposition Leader Yitzhak Herzog. 

Despite this, MKs who live in Judea-Samaria will not receive armored vehicles due to the prohibitive costs involved. 

Five MKs are currently secured at all times: MK Tzahi Hanegbi (Likud), chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee; Yisrael Beytenu chairman and former Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman; and three Arab Joint List MKs - Hanin Zoabi, Jamal Zahalka and Ahmed Tibi.