Guns in Synagogue

While at the Jewish Blogger conference I met Robert Avrech. I've been reading his blog for a while and really enjoy it. Robert is an Emmy Award winning screenwriter, an observant Jew, a religious Zionist, a fierce conservative Republican, and a member of the NRA. Robert has been writing and producing in Hollywood for over twenty-five years

His post from his most recent trip to Israel includes my kind of observations.

"I count seven Glocks and two M16's. There is, undoubtedly, more firepower in shul (Synagogue), but these men are not vain, wild west gunslingers. Most sidearms are concealed under shirt tails, or, as in the case of my brother-in-law David—who dresses for Shabbos like he's still back in Monsey—his Glock 17 is hiding under his nicely tailored suit jacket.

It is comforting to daven (pray) in a room with armed and well-trained citizen soldiers. We know from experience that in Israel, it is armed citizens who are the first line of defense against the Arab-Muslim terrorists who have been killing Jews since time immemorial.

One of the most irrational and shameful political positions taken by Liberal American Jews is the demand for the abolition of the right to bear arms.

If Jews in Europe owned guns there would be several million dead Nazis and their collaborators—and far fewer dead Jews."

He also writes about his friend's experience dispatching a terrorist in a crowded supermarket.

“The Glock is a good weapon when every millisecond counts,” says Larry. There's no safety, which can take precious time away from shooting. You can keep a round in the chamber, then just draw and fire.”

Larry totes his Glock in a Fobus speed holster.

“What kind of rounds did you use?”

“I keep hollow points in the Glock, but my spare magazine has full metal jackets. The day I killed the terrorist, I put him down with the hollow points. Don't want to use full metal jackets in a crowded supermarket, they'll go right through and kill an innocent bystander.”

“The Efrat supermarket was crowded?”

“Very. Look, the terrorist was here,” Larry demonstrates using his body and mine, “and behind him were several women and children.”

“How close were you to the the terrorist?”

Much more here