Israeli small arms manufacturer Emtan and Spanish company Guardian Defense & Homeland Security, which is owned by Israelis, have signed a contract to provide 9,120 nine-millimeter pistols to the Spanish Federal Police. The deal is worth an estimated several million euros.

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This is the first time that an Israeli company has won a light arms deal from a Western European country.

The Ramon pistols are manufactured by Emtan, which was founded in 1977 and develops, manufactures and sells light arms including pistols, submachine guns and rifles to law enforcement agencies around the globe. The company has been awarded numerous government tenders worldwide and from Israel.

Guardian Defense & Homeland Security was founded in 2006 by Ilan Arzooan and Ariel Mazuz, both former officers in the Israeli security forces. Investors include Maj. Gen. (res.) Yom-Tov Samia, a former GOC Southern Command, who is a senior partner, and Moni Liman.

Emtan owner and CEO Reuven Zada said, "We are proud and honored that the Spanish Federal Police have chosen the Ramon pistol. Emtan provides a major emphasis on planning, materials and the reliability of the weapons it manufactures and we also see major interest from government bodies in Europe and other countries."

Samia said: "Europe in general and Spain, in particular, have a strong industry for manufacturing defense and security products and usually [tenders] of this magnitude are granted to the local industry. Despite the entry obstacles and complex bureaucracy, we at Guardian managed to establish ourselves in the Spanish and Portuguese security industry as leaders in the field for the past 15 years."

The win, according to the Defensa website, came after a "series of rigorous technical tests of 9x19mm pistols under consideration for the tender including the Glock 19 Generation 5/FS, the Beretta APX Centurion, the AREX Delta M Gen.2 SP, and the Heckler and Koch HK SFP9 S. The Ramon pistol won first place with a result of 38 points out of 40, with the Glock in second place with 28 points and the HK SFP9 S in third place with only 22 points."

However, the report added, even the price for each pistol was an important factor in the choice. The HK was offered for 385 euros while the Glock was offered for 306 euros, and the Ramon was offered for 269 euros.

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The suspect, identified as Stephan B., is accused of murder on two counts and attempted murder in nine cases, prosecutors told reporters ahead of the trial, which is scheduled to start on Tuesday.

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The prosecutors added that the suspect had confessed to the crimes during their investigations.

After failing to enter the synagogue, the suspect fatally shot a woman passing by and a man inside a nearby kebab shop. The attacker live-streamed his attack.

Interior Minster Horst Seehofer said in May that the number of anti-Semitic crimes committed in Germany rose by 13% last year, laying the blame on right-wing radicals.

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But according to a recent report in American bimonthly magazine The National Interest, an Israeli assault rifle is giving the classic American-made M-16 and Russia's famed AK-47 a run for their money.

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This new rising star is not a reincarnation of what is perhaps Israel's most famous firearm – the iconic Uzi submachine gun, but a high-tech piece of equipment that special forces and police SWAT teams in almost 30 nations now swear by – the IWI Tavor.

According to the report, these include "several South American, Central American, African, and Asian nations, including Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Senegal, and Nepal. In addition, the nation of Georgia has replaced some of its AK-47s with Tavors. Vietnam and India also use them. As for the US, a few state and local police departments have opted for the Tavor."

Produced by Israel Weapon Industries, the Tavor rifle was introduced in 2001 and was chosen by the IDF in 2009 to replace the M-16 and M-4 as its first-line rifle, the report noted.

According to its specs, the Tavor is designed to maximize reliability, durability, simplicity of design, and ease of maintenance, particularly under adverse or battlefield conditions. It is waterproofed and its internal mechanism is sealed from outside elements, so that it can pass over-the-beach requirements.

The rifle is distinctive by its bullpup configuration, in which the receiver and magazine are located behind the trigger, thus allowing a shorter weapon, The National Interest noted.

It primarily fires NATO 5.56 x 45-millimeter rounds, though it can also shoot 9-millimeter ammunition. The weapon is just 28 inches long, and weighs just under 8 pounds, depending on the model.

The Tavor has also won several awards for its design, crafted under the direction of gun designer Zalmen Shebs, and performance. These include the 2013 Reader's Choice Award for Best Rifle from The Truth About Guns website, National Rifle Association's American Rifleman awarded the Tavor the 2014 Golden Bullseye Award as its rifle of the year, and the NRA's 2017 rifle of the year award.

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The figures, based on data released by the Israel Police to Israel Hayom, show that 90% of illegal arms and ammunition come from Arab-Israeli homes. This was also the case in the equivalent period in 2018.

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According to the data, the Israel Police have so far been able to make 3,350 arrests of Arab Israelis for illegally possessing and trading firearms.

The arms confiscated comprise 526 handguns and 435 rifles (mostly assault rifles). This represents a 21% increase compared to the equivalent period in 2018 for those two kinds of firearms.

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Added into the mix is the multibillion-dollar entertainment industry that glorifies gun violence. This includes countless action and suspense movies, murder-mystery television series and first-person video games in which players for hours on end, day after day, "shoot to kill" as many enemies as possible in realistic computer-animated settings. This poisonous entertainment is proving to be an extremely well-funded and perpetual soft source of incitement.

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On top of that is a growing epidemic of mental illness in the United States, as well as the frequent prescribing of anti-depression medications that have too often been known to have dangerous side effects, including suicidal thoughts and violent tendencies.

In many mass shootings incidents in the United States in recent years, multiple factors blended into a dangerous cocktail that has led individuals to commit the most heinous act any human could commit: the intentional murder of innocent victims.

While some of the recent perpetrators have been "white nationalists," others have been jihadists, while others have been youth or other unsuspecting individuals that for one reason or another – or a combination of reasons – have simply snapped.

Israel, too, has seen its share of gun violence in the past several decades, in the form of nationalistic terrorism.

The perpetrators of this terrorism are almost exclusively Palestinians who have been regularly incited – in the more classic forms of incitement – by textbooks, television, social media and speeches by political and religious leaders that glorify and call for the murder of Jews. Much of this incitement is well-documented by organizations, including Palestinian Media Watch and Middle East Media Research Institute.

With rare exceptions, Jews in Israel – or in the United States, for that matter – are not prone to gun violence. (In Israel each year there are isolated cases of mafia-related violence. And while equally heinous and inexcusable, this violence tends not to be indiscriminate like the current trend of mass shootings or Palestinian terrorism.)

While Israel does not offer its citizens any "right to bear arms" within its framework of basic laws, guns are commonplace and part of the culture in Israel. With mandatory conscription, most Israelis have handled automatic weapons while serving in the military. Soldiers, including those who are off-duty, are often seen across the country carrying machine guns, while thousands of Israelis carry personal handguns.

A high percentage, if not a majority of terrorists who are caught in the act of, or attempting to commit murder, are neutralized by private citizens carrying weapons. During times of elevated terrorism, Israeli leaders including former Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat have called on citizens owning weapons to carry them.

While many Israelis have weapons, they are not available to everyone and anyone. To receive a gun license, one must meet several criteria. First, an individual must live or work in a geographic area deemed to pose a higher terror risk, such as Israeli citizens living in Judea and Samaria or close to Arab villages with a history of producing terrorists.

Next, a doctor, usually a general practitioner who has been treating an individual for many years, must complete a detailed health evaluation certifying that the applicant is both physically capable and mentally stable enough to carry a weapon. An applicant also needs to complete a shooting course with a certified instructor and demonstrate sufficient mastery of handling and shooting a weapon. Before a license is granted, a detailed security check is performed on applicants by Israeli authorities.

Once granted, a license then permits an individual to own and carry a single handgun, and the specific weapon purchased by the gun owner is embedded in the license. Only the licensee may use that specific pistol. If the individual wishes to change handguns, the license must be amended. Furthermore, the license permits the gun owner to store a maximum of 50 bullets at any given time. A licensed owner may carry a weapon exposed (open carry) or concealed without limitation.

The license must be renewed every two years and requires periodic shooting instruction and proof of proficiency. Anyone carrying a weapon must be able to present their license at any time.

Private citizens are not allowed to own assault weapons, which are only carried by military personnel with army-issued weapons and ammunition.

The rules of engagement are extremely strict and limited to life-threatening situations. If a terrorist is coming toward any individual with a weapon, a licensed private citizen may shoot. If the terrorist is no longer in possession of the attack weapon, a licensed private citizen or soldier could go to jail for firing a shot, even if the attacker was in the act of attempted murder just seconds earlier.

Unlike in the United States, a licensed gun owner may not shoot at a burglar or trespasser on private property unless there is a demonstrated immediate threat to the life of anyone on the property.

In addition to private citizens carrying weapons, uniformed and armed security guards, as well as metal detectors, are commonplace at the entrances of major shopping centers, schools, public offices, and institutions, as well as in places of organized public gatherings.

It is both socially acceptable and religiously permissible for synagogue congregants to carry weapons during services, including on Shabbat.

And while the presence of armed private citizens and security guards cannot eliminate the threat of attacks (nor are they in every vulnerable location), these critical measures significantly limit the number of potential victims during an attack. Most perpetrators are neutralized within the very first minute after a terrorist attack begins.

So as Americans seek to understand the nature of increasing gun violence in the United States, it is crucial to understand the dangerous combination of causes that lead to this deadly and horrific phenomenon, beyond common political attacks.

It also may be useful to look to Israel, which has significant experience dealing with terrorist attacks, for ways to control access to guns by those who are unlikely to respect their civilian purpose: to defend and not to take lives. American shopping centers and institutions across the country may have little choice but to emulate Israel in employing armed security to prevent shooters who have gone mad from attacking mass victims.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Three arson incidents occurred in Massachusetts within a week during the month of May. Two occurred at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life of Arlington, while another happened at the Chabad Jewish Center in Needham. State and federal law enforcement are investigating these incidents.

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Rabbi Mendy Krinsky directs the Needham location with his wife, Chanie, who smelled a fire outside their home, which the rabbi extinguished "before the smoke alarms even went off," according to his wife's Facebook post.

"Jewish community centers throughout the United States have been addressing the evolving nature of the threats against them for many years," the rabbi told JNS. "When an attack does occur, it's a time to re-evaluate and continue to enhance security measures."

"We've been working closely with security experts and law enforcement, as we had been doing before this took place," he continued. "We are grateful to law enforcement for their continued partnership in ensuring our safety, and we are taking independent security measures as well."

Krinsky declined to say what specific security protocols his family has taken since the arson, although he did mention that they haven't received any threats since and have gotten an "outpouring of support from the community."

Rabbi Moshe Bleich, who runs the Chabad on-campus center for students at the nearby Wellesley College and Babson College in Massachusetts, told JNS that there are different approaches to security among the many Chabad Houses around the world.

He declined to specify what precautions he and his wife, Geni, have been taking, but noted that all Chabad synagogues and centers are taking new precautions – not just because of the recent fire, but in the aftermath of the April 27 shooting at Chabad of Poway in Southern California, which resulted in the death of one woman and injuries to others, including the senior rabbi there.

Chabad emissaries in the state have undergone a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Event, according to Bleich. It is a training course that was created by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training organization (ALERRT) in 2004, five years after the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, where 15 people, including the two perpetrators, were shot and killed.

According to ALERRT's website, "topics include the history and prevalence of active shooter events, civilian response options, medical issues, and considerations for conducting drills."

The program is offered through local law enforcement and is funded "through several state and federal entities," per ALERRT.

Bleich said he plans to go through the program soon.

"We pride ourselves as being a home for every Jew – a welcoming environment for everybody," he said. "We're not looking to scare anybody off. The last thing we would want is that people should not feel safe and not feel comfortable to come to a synagogue."

"On the other hand," he continued, "we need to make sure that everybody will feel safe and feel comfortable going to a synagogue."

Krinsky echoed that sentiment: "My message to all rabbis is that security and a warm, welcoming environment are not mutually exclusive. People are more comfortable and at ease in what they feel is a safe space. While ensuring that our places of gathering and worship are safe and secure, let's keep our focus on what our added value really is: inspiring and uplifting people, and bringing more light into the world."

'All about risk appetite'

Bob Kinder, who served six years in the US Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is currently the president and CEO of the safety and security consulting firm Talon Solutions, which has contracted with synagogues to provide armed security, told JNS that "taking surveillance, all that does is capture an image of the perpetrator, whatever they're doing, their nefarious activities. If you do not have an operational arm that can interdict very rapidly, then the best surveillance systems in the world won't do you any good if your objective is to prevent an attack."

"Surveillance systems and hardening a synagogue or a JCC or another Jewish institution is absolutely critical just to keep out would-be assailants," he continued. "But unless you have somebody who can rapidly react to that adversary, you'll find it's just too late."

That is not to say all Jewish institutions need to have armed personnel, said Kinder, as defense and security are all about "risk appetite," he said, adding that "and we're certainly at risk."

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"When this happens, you get a wake-up call," said Ortner, a 28-year-old shop owner in Monsey, New York.

Ortner was one of nine Jewish men who attended a one-day course on Tuesday at the privately owned Cherev Gidon Israeli Tactical Defense Academy near Scranton, Pennsylvania – a class that was scheduled on Sunday in response to the Pittsburgh synagogue attack.

He was there to learn how to use a gun to protect himself and his community and prevent a repeat of Saturday's massacre, the deadliest attack targeting Jews in U.S. history.

"The fact is, we're at war," said Yonatan Stern, a veteran officer of the Israel Defense Forces and director of the academy, told his class. "We want every Jew in America armed."

In the six years since Stern started the academy, demand for firearms training has never been higher than after Saturday's attack. Hundreds of interested students contacted Stern in the last 72 hours. All but three or four were Jewish.

The spike in demand follows U.S. President Donald Trump's statement that the shooting might have been prevented if the synagogue had employed an armed guard.

But many Jews have resisted the idea that having guns in synagogues is the best way to prevent such attacks.

Rabbi Moti Rieber, executive director of the Kansas Interfaith Action, an advocacy organization, said on Tuesday that he did not believe Trump's call for more armed guards could prevent attacks on places of worship.

"What kind of country we're going to be if every house of worship has to have an armed guard?" Rieber said. "I think having less access to that kind of weaponry is going to be much more effective in the long run than having a single armed guard."

According to Stern, an armed guard at a synagogue is a useful deterrent but not a replacement for armed civilians, since a shooter could kill the armed guard before entering and killing congregants.

"To wait for law enforcement to arrive simply is not the answer," Stern said.

Some of the students attending the course were card-carrying National Rifle Association members. Some had never fired a gun before. Two worked in schools and wanted to defend Jewish children. Many of them intended to bring guns to their synagogues on the next Sabbath for protection.

"Everybody has to find a way to react; this is my way," said Zev Guttman, who said he was scared of guns until Saturday's shooting convinced him he had to be armed.

Tuesday's course, held in a log cabin on an outdoor shooting range in rural Honesdale, about 300 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, consisted of active-shooter response drills using handguns and rifles. Students practiced drawing concealed weapons, loading and firing AR-15 rifles at bull's-eye targets.

Stern said that it "touches my heart" to see his students in training because he knows they will return to their synagogues as a first line of defense.

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