News Anchor Lital Shemesh Wields On-Air Gun; Here's Why Other Israelis Also Considering Carrying Arms

Israeli television news anchor Lital Shemesh this week made headlines as she took to the airwaves with a visible pistol strapped to her hip. Shemesh, a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), delivered the news while seated at the anchor desk with the firearm tucked into the back of her pants. The image quickly went viral.

Known for her role on the right-leaning Channel 14, Shemesh had also posted pictures on social media showcasing her at a shooting range. Following the terror attack, she stressed the importance of Israel’s mobilisation against Hamas, saying, “The entire country is being recruited to fight this war against terrorism.” Shemesh expressed the gravity of the situation, calling it a “second holocaust” for Israel, The New York Post reported.

The aftermath of the October 7 attacks witnessed a spike in applications for firearm licenses in Israel, historically known for stringent gun ownership laws. About 256,000 applications were submitted in the days and weeks following the Hamas attack. The Israeli parliament responded by approving measures to streamline the process of obtaining gun permits.

Notably, the Israeli government approved more gun licenses in the period from October 7 to November 2023 than in the entire year of 2022. Requests for gun permits in the Jewish country have skyrocketed since the Oct. 7 incursion, according to the Ministry of National Security. More than 236,000 new requests for permits have been filed since the attack — a figure equal to the number filed over 20 years, the statement released in November.

A sense of insecurity gripped Israel following the attack and the army’s hourslong delay in responding, leading to a rush to buy guns. At least 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 taken hostage after Hamas militants breached Israel’s border fence and fanned out across the country’s south.

Armed civilian security squads entered the breach in the army’s absence to fight off some of the attackers. Earlier, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would expand and arm such squads with 10,000 assault rifles that would be distributed particularly in border towns, mixed Jewish-Arab cities and West Bank settlements. Some 1,700 permits are being issued daily after the Ministry of National Security eased restrictions. By comparison, an average of 94 were issued daily in November 2022, and an average of 42 a year earlier.

(With agency inputs)