In the delivery room of a hospital in Jerusalem, as the contractions intensified and the midwife tried to help the laboring woman shift to a more comfortable position, the mother felt something strange.
“She told me something was hurting her,” recalled Erga Froman, the midwife. “Then I realized it was my gun, which was holstered on a rotating belt and had shifted forward, touching her.” After the baby was born, Froman’s colleagues at the hospital took a photo of her standing next to the newborn, still wearing the gun. “It’s a picture of contrasts,” she said.
Before Oct. 7, Froman, a mother of five now living in the Golan Heights in northern Israel, had never considered obtaining a gun license. Having opted to do non-military national service instead of military service in the IDF, she had never fired a gun in her life. The change came swiftly after Hamas’ unprecedented terrorist attack on Israeli communities on Oct. 7, leaving over 1,200 dead and shattering a sense of security that many Israelis had long relied upon.
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In the delivery room of a hospital in Jerusalem, as the contractions intensified and the midwife tried to help shift the laboring woman to a more comfortable position, she felt something strange.
“She told me something was hurting her,” recalled Erga Froman, the midwife. “Then I realized it was my gun, which had shifted forward and was touching her.” After the baby was born, Froman’s colleagues at the hospital took a photo of her standing next to the newborn, still wearing the gun. “It’s a picture of contrasts,” she said.
Before Oct. 7, Froman, a mother of five now living in the Golan Heights in northern Israel, had never thought about getting a gun license. However, after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas, she swiftly changed her mind and applied for a license, citing the need for protection while traveling alone at night on dangerous roads to her job. Now she hopes she never has to use it but is prepared if necessary.
For decades, firearm ownership in Israel was rare, with strict licensing processes and trust in state and defense forces for protection from terror threats. This changed after the Oct. 7 attack, with many Israelis seeing personal firearms as a necessary safeguard in a new, more dangerous reality.
A surge in gun license applications followed the attack, with over 260,000 submitted in the months afterward. More than 100,000 licenses have been approved, marking a significant increase compared to previous years.
Many individuals, like Ayala Mirkin from Shiloh, applied for licenses due to feeling unsafe while their spouses were away on military duty. Mirkin now carries her pistol when leaving her settlement, emphasizing that it’s a tool for survival, not a choice.
Unlike in the United States, where gun ownership is often linked to crime or property defense, firearms in Israel are viewed as tools for countering terrorism, with a focus on protection rather than personal defense. However, concerns about inadequate oversight and potential unintended consequences, such as accidental shootings and domestic violence, have been raised.
As Israel adjusts to increased firearm ownership, the delicate balance between protection and responsibility is brought into focus. The societal implications remain uncertain, with individuals grappling with the weight of their decisions in a changing security landscape.
