WHEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S
TRIP TO CHINA WOULD BE
RESCHEDULED.
>>> GUN OWNERSHIP IN ISRAEL IS
ON THE RISE, AND IT HAS A LOT
TO DO WITH LOOSENING
RESTRICTIONS FOR THOUSANDS OF
ITS CITIZENS.
IN FACT, THE NUMBER OF GUN
LICENSES ISSUED BY THE ISRAELI
GOVERNMENT HAS SKYROCKETED
OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
SO WHY NOW?
>> Reporter: WHEN A MAN RAMMED
HIS CAR INTO A CROWD EARLIER
THIS MONTH, THE ISRAEL
NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER
PRAISED THE CITIZENS THAT SHOT
DEAD THE SUSPECTED TERRORIST
FOR SAVING LIVES.
THEY'RE POINTING TO THIS
INCIDENT, AND OTHERS LIKE IT,
FOR WHY THEY WANT TO SEE FAR
MORE CIVILIANS CARRYING GUNS
ON ISRAEL'S STREETS.
IN AN AVERAGE MONTH, THE
ISRAELI GOVERNMENT ISSUES
ABOUT 2,000 GUN LICENSES.
BUT OVER THE LAST THREE
MONTHS, THE NUMBER DOUBLED AS
ISRAELIS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
LOOSER RULES FOR HAND GUNS.
ISRAEL SAYS THEY'RE JUST
GETTING STARTED.
IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF
AN ACTION MOVIE, BUT THEY SAY
THEY'RE NEEDED TO PREVENT
TERRORIST ATTACKS.
THIS MAN OWNS THE FIRING
RANGE.
>> FOR RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE TO
CARRY WEAPONS TO PROTECT US.
>> Reporter: DO YOU WORRY
ISRAEL COULD START TO SEE GUN
VIOLENCE LIKE IN THE U.S.?
>> NO.
ANY TERROR ATTACK, WHEN YOU
SEE SOMEONE MURDERING
CIVILIANS, YOU CAN USE YOUR
WEAPON.
>> Reporter: UNLIKE THE U.S.,
ISRAEL HAS UNIVERSAL
BACKGROUND CHECKS.
GETTING A LICENSE REQUIRES A
DOCTOR SIGNING OFF, GUN
TRAINING, AN INTERVIEW, AND A
REASON YOU NEED THE EXTRA
SECURITY.
WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, YOU CAN
ONLY HAVE ONE GUN AND UP TO 50
BULLETS, AND ONLY PISTOLS.
BUT AFTER A STRING OF DEADLY
ATTACKS BY PALESTINIANS,
ISRAEL'S FAR RIGHT NATIONAL
SECURITY MINISTER IS PROMISING
CHANGE AND ISSUING FIVE TIMES
AS MANY LICENSES A MONTH.
MOST MOMS DON'T WANT THEIR
KIDS ANYWHERE NEAR GUNS.
WHY DID YOU BRING YOUR
DAUGHTER HERE?
>> WE LIVE IN A REALITY WHERE
IT'S ALMOST A NECESSITY.
THERE ARE ATTACKS EVERYWHERE,
AND WE WANT TO HAVE A LITTLE
BIT OF CONTROL.
>> Reporter: THE CURRENT PLAN
CALLS FOR SHORTENING WAITING
TIMES, DOUBLING THE STAFF WHO
ISSUE LICENSES, AND
ELIMINATING INTERVIEWS FOR
FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE, AND
MILITARY RESERVISTS.
ALTHOUGH ISRAEL HAS FAR FEWER
GUNS PER PERSON THAN THE U.S.,
THEY'RE NO LESS VISIBLE IN A
COUNTRY ALWAYS ON HIGH ALERT.
MANY ISRAELIS WERE TRAINED
DURING MILITARY SERVICE.
BUT WHILE TERRORISM IS A TOP
CONCERN, ISRAEL DOESN'T SEE
SHOOTINGS LIKE THE U.S.
SCHOOL SHOOTINGS ARE ALMOST
NONEXISTENT.
>> IT'S A PATH THAT WE SHOULD
LOOK AT VERY CAREFULLY.
PRO-GUN PEOPLE TEND TO SAY
EASILY WE'RE NOT THE U.S.
THE QUESTION IS WHY AREN'T WE
THE U.S.?
>> Reporter: GUN CONTROL
ADVOCATES SAY MORE FIREARMS
WILL LEAD TO VIGILANTE JUSTICE
WITH LITTLE ACCOUNTABILITY. YOU WERE SHOT RIGHT HERE?
YOU WERE SHOT RIGHT HERE?
THIS MAN WAS WALKING HOME LAST
MONTH WHEN HE SAID AN JEWISH
NEIGHBOR SHOT AT HIM.
ONE BULLET GRAZED HIS NECK,
ANOTHER STRUCK HIS ARM.
THE SHOOTER WAS CHARGED WITH
UNLAWFUL USE OF A FIREARM AND
CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY AND
BRIEFLY PLACED UNDER HOUSE
ARREST, THEN CONDITIONALLY
RELEASED.
THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT WANTS
MORE OF THESE KIND OF PEOPLE
TO HAVE HAND GUNS.
HE SAYS NOT JUST ME, EVERYONE
WILL BE SCARED.
AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO ME,
PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO WALK
ALONE.
BUT JUST LIKE IN THE U.S.,
ISRAEL'S GUN ADVOCATES SAY THE
GUNS THEMSELVES ARE NOT THE
PROBLEM.
BEN BELIEVES THEY'RE THE
SOLUTION.
HE SAYS A FEW YEARS AGO, HE
STOPPED A SUSPICIOUS LOOKING
PALESTINIAN THAT HE SAYS WAS
ABOUT TO ATTACK A SUPERMARKET.
>> AFTER QUESTIONS HIM, WITH
NO WEAPON IN MY HAND, JUST
LIKE I'M STANDING NOW WITH MY
GUN COVERED, HE DECIDED TO TRY
TO SLAUGHTER ME.
I'M STANDING TALKING TO YOU TO
YOU, AND HE'S NOT.
>> Reporter: EVEN IF ISRAEL
SIGNIFICANTLY LOOSENS GUN
LAWS, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT
WON'T CHANGE.
NOBODY HERE IS TALKING ABOUT
CREATING A COUNSEL TALKAL
RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS.
ISRAEL STILL INTENDS TO