DISPATCH FROM JERUSALEM
‘I have no choice’: Israelis flock to arm themselves against Hamas
Arming Jewish citizens has been a life goal for some in Netanyahu’s government. Now they have loosened the law — and shops are selling out
The Jerusalem Shooting Ranges is among many gun shops reporting a brisk trade
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
The Times
Slightly built and more than slightly uneasy, Rafael Alkobi picks up the handgun, clicks in a magazine and points it down the range towards human-shaped targets.
“I have never held a pistol before and I have never wanted one,” he confides, shyly, as he emerges from his weapons training session. “But because of the situation now in Israel, I don’t feel I have a choice.”
Alkobi was one of eight prospective gun owners being put through his paces by an instructor at a Jerusalem shooting range this week, the maximum the venue can fit in one session.
Outside, crowds of others milled, inspecting pistols and tactical gear as they waited their turn to register for a civilian weapons licence.
Gun sales in Israel have been
