Stocking up: Jerusalem’s surge in self-defense sales

Israelis and foreign workers are acquiring weapons and other self-defensive items as precautionary measures in the face of the unpredictable nature of danger from terrorist attacks.

By JOSH DELL
Updated: OCTOBER 15, 2015 13:11
Yair Yifrach an instructor at the Hagiva Arms shooting range, explains use of weapons and the target to a trainee (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Yair Yifrach an instructor at the Hagiva Arms shooting range, explains use of weapons and the target to a trainee
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
"The terrorist is coming at you! Kadima [come on], kadima, kadima!” Yair Yifrach, instructor at Hagiva Arms, a weapons shop and shooting range in Givat Ze’ev, is shouting at a young man he is instructing in using a pistol, educating him in the art of reloading rapidly under pressure in the face of threats from an armed attacker. Yifrach and other proprietors of weaponry stores throughout the Jerusalem area have been experiencing a boom in business since the beginning of the recent wave of violence.
Both Israelis and foreign workers are acquiring a variety of weapons and other self-defensive items as precautionary measures in the face of the unpredictable nature of danger from stabbings and other terrorist attacks.
Yifrach emphasizes that since the attacks began, he has experienced a more than 100% increase in sales. The most popular items being purchased range from tear gas to firearms. “This is a new wave of violence. You go to the Old City, somebody attacks you with a knife, you go to the Kotel [Western Wall], somebody attacks you with a knife. People want to defend themselves; it’s natural.”
Though it has become increasingly common to see individuals openly carrying firearms across Jerusalem, the reality is that firearms represent only a small segment of the sales in stores like Hagiva Arms. Due to Israel’s stringent firearms licensing laws, to become a licensed firearm user, one is required to go through a lengthy procedure that can take up to six months, entailing numerous meetings with the Interior Ministry, a physical and mental health exam, background checks, as well as shooting exams and courses.
The most common purchases therefore tend to be non-lethal and self-defense weapons.
Isaac Mizrahi, owner of the Magnum 2525 store in Jerusalem’s city center, finds himself chock-a-block with customers on Sunday afternoon. The most sought-after items so far are pepper spray and electric stun guns. He feels that the climate at the moment is not dissimilar to other periods of terrorist activity in recent years, dismissing the attacks as being perpetrated largely by individuals who “want to impress girls.” Nevertheless, he understands entirely why people wish to take their personal security into their own hands.
Those acquiring defensive materials come from a wide range of backgrounds and have varied needs. David, a local, is buying a stab-proof and bulletproof vest for his mother, a tour guide in the Old City, who was threatened with a knife as recently as a month ago. The NIS 2,600 investment is highly reflective of the types of purchases being made in this climate of unpredictable stabbings carried out by individuals. Inna, a mother of three, came to Magnum 2525 to acquire tear-gas spray for her whole family. Left with painful memories of the second intifada and the havoc it wreaked among her then-young family, she describes the reality of needing to buy weaponry such as tear gas as leaving her “tired and hopeless.” Yet, at the same time, she sees it as the only way for her to feel comfortable and in possession of a sense of security.
In contrast, French engineers Nicolas and Emmanuel, both living in Jerusalem while they work on the expansion of the light rail, find that despite the uptick in terrorism, the growth in use of defensive weapons actually leaves them feeling safer than back home. Nicolas reveals a recently acquired baton hidden underneath his T-shirt.
In response to a question about the vast cultural difference between Europe and Israel regarding self-defense and weaponry, both men argue that being able to possess items such as pepper spray (which is illegal in many European countries) enhances the security of everybody.
“I lived in Canada for several years. Everybody carries a weapon there and there is no violence,” says Nicolas, suggesting that even in the current climate he feels safer in Jerusalem than he did in his hometown of Paris.