At the end of the week, Israel will celebrate Purim in the shadow of the war. Numerous retailers and chains have opted to forego profits by not selling toy guns, caps or firecrackers.
The toy chain Toys R Us decided to prohibit the sale of explosives and toy guns of any kind, and there are signs that clearly state: "We do not sell firecrackers, a happy and safe Purim."
According to Toys R Us Israel CEO Shirley Parr Yagerman, "the chain does not sell firecrackers of any kind in its branches, nor does it sell the toy cap guns. We have been very careful about this subject in years past because of the danger of costumes catching fire, and all the more so in wartime. We see no need or reason to allow the sale of firecrackers that could only cause unnecessary panic amid the reality of war."
Attorney Merav Shaham, an expert in labor law, recently issued a petition calling for the outlawing of firecrackers this year. "Playing with firecrackers often causes injuries and, in addition, their use harms thousands of people, because it is a 'trigger' for severe anxiety attacks and post-traumatic symptoms of war and war casualties. This year we say – enough," she wrote.
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Her partner in the "Purim Without Firecrackers" struggle is Lilach Yazdi, who also designed the petition poster. "There are many new victims who suffer from anxiety. We call on parents and children to refrain from purchasing firecrackers and appeal to store owners and importers to refrain from selling firecrackers and caps," the poster pleads.
Shmuel Sayag, the owner of the Varod Kachol store in Even Yehuda, answered the call to stop selling the triggering merchandise. "I returned to the supplier all the goods I brought, caps and firecrackers, and this was at the request of locals who contacted me following the petition. My ears were attentive and I removed them from the shelves," he told Ynet.
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Shmuel Sayag, the owner of the Varod Kachol store in Even Yehuda, answered the call to stop selling the triggering merchandise
However, some stores still offer such items. On a tour of the Red Pirate toy store branch in Bnei Dror in central Israel, Ynet found a full variety of toy pistols in different price ranges on the shelves: from 45 shekels for a rifle up to 150 shekels. The caps themselves can only be purchased at the checkout stand (at the bargain price of 2 shekels per pack of caps).
The Kids and Dragons toy store in Nes Ziona also offers a selection of toy guns and pistols. The Max Stock branch in the Poleg industrial park in Netanya sells toy pistols but without caps.
"Due to the situation, we took the caps out of the packaging of the guns," said one of the sellers. However, customers can buy caps elsewhere.