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Europe’s Leading Rabbi: Jews Must Begin Carrying Guns


imagesThe Following is VIA Newsweek.com

A prominent Jewish leader has written to the governments of all the EU countries, calling on them to pass legislation giving special licence for Jewish people to carry guns.

In a letter sent to interior ministries around Europe and obtained by Newsweek, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, director general of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE) and the European Jewish Association (EJA) – the largest federation of Jewish organizations and communities in Europe – writes: “We hereby ask that gun licensing laws are reviewed with immediate effect to allow designated people in the Jewish communities and institutions to own weapons for the essential protection of their communities, as well as receiving the necessary training to protect their members from potential terror attacks.”

Speaking to Newsweek, Rabbi Margolin added that he believes that “as many people within the Jewish community as possible” should carry weapons.

The call comes in light of the recent attacks in Paris and increased anti-semitic attacks in Europe which Rabbi Margolin writes “have revealed the urgent need to stop talking and start acting”.

Last week, four Jewish men were killed when Amedy Coulibaly took hostages in a kosher supermarket in Porte de Vincennes, eastern Paris. During the resulting siege, Coulibaly told a French TV station via phone that he had targeted the shop ‘because it was Jewish’. Some 2,000 mourners attended the funeral of  Yoav Hattab, Yohan Cohen, Philippe Braham and Francois-Michel Saada at the Har Menuhot cemetery in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Highlighting the threat of European-born jihadists returning from the Middle East, such as those who carried out last week’s attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine, Rabbi Margolin added: “We need to recognise the warning signs of anti-Semitism, racism, and intolerance that once again threaten Europe and our European ideals.”

According to Rabbi Margolin, a license to carry a weapon would provide people in the Jewish community with a sense of security that is sorely lacking in Europe, particularly in light of recent events. “Right now Jews do not feel safe,” he said.

“We are threatened on a daily basis,” he said. “People are afraid to come to synagogue. People are afraid to go to Jewish schools.”

“[The police] are not doing enough, for sure. We just need more. The best solution is having at least two police officers at each Jewish institution, 24 hours a day. Until that happens we need to be able to feel secure in other ways.”

Rabbi Margolin said that being allowed to carry a weapon would “allow our people to feel protected” adding that the weapons would all be registered. “We will be under the supervision of authorities. It would be completely controlled in the most professional way.”

EU law does allow for the carrying of guns under a license, but leaves specific gun legislation down to individual member states. Neither the Department for Home Affairs and Migration in Brussels nor the UK Home Office were willing to comment on the letter at this stage.

On the type of weapon people would be equipped with, Rabbi Margolin said: “Even just a gun. I’m not referring to tanks, it’s not about heavy weapons. It’s just that everyone would have something in their pocket.”

The Brussels-based rabbi, who recently discussed Palestinian statehood and the removal of Hamas from the EU’s list of terrorist organisations with foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, said he is arranging meetings to discuss the campaign over the coming weeks.

Rabbi Margolin also criticised Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to the Paris attacks in which he called for French Jews to “come home” to Israel, saying that such campaigns make it harder for European Jews to live securely.

“The Israeli government should not make people panic. Immigration is not the solution to the terror,” he said.

“Each time something terrible happens more people think of immigration, but Jewish people have lived in Europe for over 2,000 years. For many, Europe is their homeland. To state there is no other solution except to leave Europe and move to Israel is just saying that the government has failed.”

The rabbi said that the campaign to license arms has received positive comments from the Jewish community, with most people saying being armed with a weapon would allow them to feel more secure.



13 Responses

  1. Rabbi Margolin said: “Even just a gun. I’m not referring to tanks, it’s not about heavy weapons. It’s just that everyone would have something in their pocket.”

    Loh zu haderech. Very foolish.

  2. A refreshing request from a rabbi. When i was thinking on carrying a gun i asked my rabbi what his thoughts are if its going against bitochon. He said if all is well and the streets are safe then you dont need to carry because if something should happen to you its because hashem wanted it to happen carry or dont carry its going to happen one way or another. but he said if its a matzav sakanah then you should carry its what hashem would want

  3. European countries are very antagonistic to private ownership of firearms. I suspect the person who made the suggestion has spent time in the US, which has a cultural tradition of armed citizens.

    In any event, most European Jews have been in their current location for a short time (the ones with deep routes were killed or fled during WWII), and I can’t imagine any Jews choosing to fight rather than to flee, since Israel is definitely open, and probably the English speaking countries (under the refugee provisions of their immigration laws). Especially in Europe, golus isn’t worth fighting for.

  4. If he is afraid to say it, then let it be said, nevertheless: There is no other solution other than to leave Europe and move to Israel, because the French government HAS failed. Europe, or anywhere else for that matter is not the Jewish “homeland”.

  5. #4 The number of US Jews getting gun licenses over the last year is at an all time high and getting higher. Many Jews who would have never dreamed of owning guns have changed their minds.

  6. I carry every time I leave the house.
    Not looking to be hero, I just don’t want to be a victim.
    My rav said it’s ok for a woman to carry.

  7. Thank you isupportgedolim

    WHERE IS EVERYONE? YOU WANT TO WAIT FOR HASHEM TO DESTROY YOUR CITIES UNTIL YOU FINALLY WAKE UP
    GET ON A PLANE TO ERETZ YISRAEL ALL OF YOU INCLUDING AMERICANS

  8. When I’m sick I go to the doctor and take medication although I understand healing comes from G-d,I work 10 hours a day to earn a living although livelihood comes from G-d.In the same vain I carry a (legally) concealed gun although I understand that protection comes from G-d.

    We have seen what happened in the “safe” area of Jerusalem and Europe. For those that think you are any safer in the USA – you are delusional.

    It’s time to stop being reactionary and be proactive.

  9. R’ Margolin is not a prominent leader and definitely not “Europe’s leading Rabbi”. He is a spokesman for an organisation that is mainly comprised out of Lubavitcher Rabbis who make a lot of noise and have, with their typical aggressive attitude, caused a lot of problems for authentic Rabbonim who are working in the quiet diplomatic, behind the scene, Derocheho Darkei Noam way.

  10. This is just common sense. With training, carrying a firearm presents minimal to zero risk. Is it a guarantee? Of course not. But it gives people a fighting chance. It has nothing to do with Aliya — the two are not mutually exclusive. For the millions of Jews who can’t or won’t make Aliya, they should have the means to defend themselves. Actually, Jews in Israel should also have that right. Unfortunately, the Israeli government has made it virtually impossible for Israelis — particularly Olim who haven’t served in the army — to obtain a firearms permit.

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