The terrorist attack in Tel Aviv on Friday, which saw two people killed and seven wounded, awakened the dormant public debate regarding easing gun restrictions and whether Israeli civilians should be allowed to bear arms freely. This is a choice between two bad options and the issue remains a top priority in various democratic countries, primarily the United States. Those advocating giving firearms to just about anyone claim it saves lives, while critics argue that increasing its availability also increases crime and tragedies that result in death. It is similar to the dramatic principle of "Chekhov's gun" -- A gun that appears in the first act is bound to be fired by the end of the play. The issue of the Israeli gun control was initially introduced to the public via the controversial case of Shai Dromi, an Israeli Negev farmer who, in an act of self-defense, shot and killed an intruder who broke into his home in January 2007. Instead of giving him a medal, Dromi was arrested and charged with manslaughter. The case sparked a public uproar which ended in the amendment of the law, which is commonly known as the 'Dromi law,' stipulating that resisting an intruder is considered self-defense and will not bear criminal liability. Meretz's opposition to the law, in fear it would increase gun violence, was proved wrong. Since then, there has been only one case in which a burglar was shot by a homeowner, but no one dared utter a word of criticism and rightly so. Clearly, not everyone will be permitted to carry a weapon -- there are certain criteria applicants must meet such as military service and an officer rank, a psychological assessment as well as practicing at a shooting range within a certain time frame. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan is operating properly in that direction, but stressed that an immediate change was impossible as it requires new laws and police regulations. There is no doubt that the distribution of firearms could give rise to gun violence among normative people, who, in a moment of rage, could lose their tempers. Furthermore, guns can get lost or sold to criminals, or end up in the hands of a child and cause a disaster. Nevertheless, amid a raging knife intifada and an onslaught of terrorist attacks like the one that struck Tel Aviv on Friday, easing access to handgun ownership is preferable to denying it. Erdan and the police need to hurry up.
The gun control controversy in the U.S. is deep-seated. The strong gun lobby and American citizens, who are desperate for personal safety, want to carry guns, while others, President Barack Obama included, believe that lenient gun laws increase violent crimes. However, now, the U.S. is also facing the Islamic terrorism, whose messengers had recently murdered 14 innocent people in a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.