They are excellent home-defense tools, easy to use and practically useless for overthrowing tyrannical governments. Everybody's happy.

that the State of Israel is so backward when it comes to the right of the individual to protect himself, his family, and property from criminals, and yes, terrorists. Have you ever considered that if Israelis had the right to keep and bear arms that the massacres at Kiryat Shemona, Maalot, and Nahariya etc., might not have been the disasters that they were? Thank you, but I'll keep my American citizenship and the Bill of Right's 2nd Ammendment which comes with it.

We have more murders in a single weekend in my country than in the entire period known as the Wild West when cowboys wore pistols on their hips in public places. That's because only a fool would draw a gun on a room full of armed people. That's why morons like the outlaw Jesse James were famous. Because they WERE that stupid. I think we (planet Earth) should return to the good old days. Imagine a vicious regime pissing off its ARMED people. Imagine the killers on the hijacked planes drawing boxcutters or even pistols against a plane load of ARMED and ANGRY passengers. Imagine a world where grieving relatives avenge their fallen loved ones with bullets greased in pig excrement. How many murders would there be the NEXT day? No... not if you got their WHOLE family. Do you know why the Muslims in America never rose up and joined the jihad? Reread the above and you might just figure it out. The biggest liberal hypocrite in my country, Senator Ted Kennedy, is for "gun control" where the government takes away the citizen's guns. Meanwhile, he has big, knuckle-dragging, gorilla sized bodyguards with an Uzi submachine gun under each armpit. Screw the cowardly governments. Arm the people. Oh yes... and grease your bullets with pig fat. Shalom through superior firepower.

But I'm not a burglar.

But limit it to people who have served in the I.D.F. Let us have shooting clubs and use.22 rifles for target shooting. Make a minimum five year jail sentence for stealing firearms. A minimum of ten years in prison for using firearms in criminal acts. Make sure that all licensed firearm owners pass a course and go to the firing range once every three months.Finally make sure the firing ranges are checked to see that they teach the correct amount of hours for safety and use and the students hit the target over 85%.

If that isn't a good enough reason for repeal, I don't know what is.

What, people who didn't serve in the IDF don't have the right to defend themselves? I never served in the US Marine Corps, but I know how to use my .30-06 M1 Garands (note plural!), and .45ACP M1911 well enough so that I will hit what I am aiming at and nothing (ie. no-one) else.

Animal rustlers are outlawed in many countries

yeah sure! Good thing to get rid of burglars in ANY event

of the justice system. There is a lot of dissatisfaction regarding the "revolving door", where thieves are charged and then released to commit yet more crimes. This causes a great deal of frustration both to the police and the public. Gun licencing should be kept as simple as possible. In a country like Israel, other than restrictions for people with a diagnosed mental illness, every citizen who thinks that he/she needs a firearm, should be able to have one, not just at home but anywhere. Possession of a gun would be a good deterrent in cases of attempted kidnapping and other violent acts. As far as the severity of the citizen's reaction, it's best to trust his/her judgment and not to impose arbitrary restrictions in that regard.

It is one thing to shoot at a paper target and another to shoot at a person.

violence is so cruel and we must put an end for all this shit thats going on in our global village. shabat shalom

The person who has broken into my home and started removing my belongings is not an "innocent" trespasser. He is the thief and a criminal and must be treated as such. I do not agree with allowing everyone to buy a gun over the counter without any restrictions but the firearm laws must be changed so that people can buy guns if they join a gun club and train to use their weapon. Most people in this country and of course everyone who has served in the IDF knows how to use a weapon. However, training in self-defense is imperative and the gun owner must be properly trained and instructed as to where and when he can use his weapon and how to maintain it. Gun owners must be compelled to carry their weapons with them at all times. A gun locked in a safe in a closet or under the floor boards of no use to anyone. People have the right to protect themselves, their families and their possessions. The police, even in the most ideal situation, cannot station a policeman outside every house. Here in Israel, when a crime is reported the police don't even come and people are told to send a fax of make a complaint at the police station. The "complaint" about a burglary has one purpose which is to satisfy the insurance company. By the time the police investigate a theft, the goods are well over the border into the Palestinian Authority. Just watch a few episodes of Kolbotek on Channel 2 TV and no further explanation is necessary. To those who say it will increase gun crime it should be noted that the criminal will ALWAYS procure a gun as he does not care about the law. Guns do not kill – people do. We must be entitled to bear arms to protect our rights and liberties but with some controls.

You should have been more clear in the first place. If that's what you meant by "only those who served in the IDF" ie. Jews, then I agree with you. Tracy W - Hear hear! Kol ha Kavod!

Here is an idea for you: You know how airplanes sometimes have an "air marshall" on board who has a hidden pistol? The IDF can draft random citizens to act as "land marshalls". Those marshalls will wear concealed weapons as they live their lives normally. Only their spouse will know but dare not brag. The IDF can then choose "honest faces" as their marshalls. Some of these faces can be Arab Israelis. Perfect for patrolling near the Gaza strip. Any Marshall found guilty of abuse of power or being involved in terror, will be executed. The IDF can choose as many or as few Marshalls as needed. Once a marshall's "cover is blown" and people know they have a weapon, they can choose to resign or the IDF can fire them. A meager salary should be assigned; not too much or people will use trickery to become one. Sound good?

Yes, some Arabs can join the IDF and so can anti-Semitic non-Jewish Russians. And if "Israelis" are allowed to legally acquire weapons, that includes Israeli Arabs as well. It's the nature of the country right now. However, you have to do what you can - things being what they are - and that is to arm the ones that are most targeted for crime: the Jews. The others always manage to get hold of weapons whenever they want to anyway.