An increasing number of Israelis are heading to gun ranges amid the rising tension with Palestinians that has claimed more than 30 people in the last 12 'days of rage.'
Israeli media reported on Tuesday that at least two persons were killed and 20 injured in separate "terror" attacks by Palestinian extremists who declared Tuesday as a 'day of rage' and called in for more attacks.
Two Palestinian extremists opened fire inside a public transport bus in Armon Hanatziv neighbourhood in Jerusalem and then proceeded to stab some people. In the attack, at least one person was killed and many were critically injured. The attackers were later shot dead by the police, according to The Jerusalem Post.
In another attack, a man rammed his car into a bus stop and stabbed people, killing at least one person before he was gunned down.
With Tuesday's incidents, the total number of Israelis and Palestinians killed attacks have reached 35.
Six Israelis and 29 Palestinians, including 11 alleged attackers and eight children have died in the last 13 days of bloodshed. The violence in part has been stoked by Muslim anger over increasing Jewish visits to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.
This in turn has seen a steep rise in Israelis rushing to buy guns and other self-defence weapons as they fear more such incidents of stabbing, stoning and damage of vehicles owned by Jews.
A large number of Israelis, including, women are now buying guns. "I refuse to be a sitting duck," says Aviva Yisraeli, a mother of four, who has been dubbed as the "Glocker mom" by Facebook users after she posted a picture of a BUL Cherokee — an Israeli version of a Glock — in her lap as she drove.
"The Arabs have absolutely no fear from our army ....but when I started carrying our gun, I realized that they do have fear from the civilian response," she said. "As they say, it's better to visit you in jail than at the graveyard," she told USAToday.
Itzik Mizrahi, owner of the Magnus 2525 gun shop in Jerusalem, told USAToday there has been a 70% increase in demand for self-defence items, including handguns and electric shockers.
Similarly, Ricochet, a hiking equipment chain store, reported it has run out of pepper sprays as demand is at an all-time high, especially from Jerusalem. At least 75% of the demand is coming from Jerusalem, according to the store's CEO, David Mentin
There also has been a sharp increase in the number of Israelis requesting to renew permits or applying for new permits to carry a gun, Herzl Kabalo, head of the firearms department at the Ministry of Public Security told The Washington Post.
