Dear Friends,
The murder of Siham Zabaraja, a women’s rights activist who was shot this week in her home in Lod, has put the urgent issue of gun control firmly on the public agenda. The incident clearly shows us the inherent danger of the prevalence of firearms in public spaces, on our streets, and in our homes.
A report recently published by “The Gun is on the Kitchen Table,” a coalition in which ACRI is a member, warns that firearms do not improve our personal security but do lead to lethal violence in our society, often against women.
Numerous studies around the world show a clear link between the accessibility of firearms and the probability of murder and suicide. In countries where weapon-licensing is stricter, gun related murders in families have decreased significantly.
How do we bring safety back to our streets? ACRI proposes a number of specific guidelines, including: building an understandable, accessible database for the public about gun violence and injuries in Israel; consolidating authority and responsibility for weapons licensing and oversight which is currently not centralized; and introducing a strict policy of supervision and enforcement to be carried out by the Ministry of Public Security. ACRI also is advocating for a law requiring third party insurance for every firearm, just as every car in Israel must be insured. Israeli law must provide us, its citizens, with as much protection from guns as it does from vehicles.
ACRI holds the government responsible for protecting the lives of all residents, and we ask you for your active support.
Read the report here (in Hebrew), and support our work in safeguarding the lives of Israelis.
Yours,
Sharon
Adv. Sharon Abraham-Weiss
Executive Director
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel
