As he interviewed Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld on Wednesday's The Situation Room, CNN host Wolf Blitzer repeatedly showed concerns that Israelis may be doing too much to defend themselves amid a spate of stabbings against Israeli Jews by Palestinians in Jerusalem.
All five questions posed to the police spokesman had the premise that Israelis are going too far in fending off the terrorist attacks, with Blitzer using three questions to fret specifically over Israeli civilians being encouraged to carry their own firearms for greater security.
Even after Rosenfeld had already twice answered a similar question and recalled that Israelis with gun permits have served in the military and have undergone years of firearms training, Blitzer absurdly pressed the issue a third time in his final question:
Aren't you concerned, though, it's one thing for police and military to walk around with weapons, but it's another thing for civilians simply to be walking around with weapons. Some of them may be trained, some of them not so well-trained, Aren't you concerned that they might simply shoot before they really know for sure there's a danger?
After beginning the interview with a question about whether "shutting down" some Arab neighborhoods and "bringing in more Israeli troops" is really the "answer," Blitzer in his second question moved to forwarding the Palestinian view that Palestinians "have a right to defend themselves." Blitzer:
I understand the need for security, but the Palestinians say, their point is that these security measures that Israel is imposing, they say, makes the situation, a bad situation even worse. And they also then say, with all this Israeli presence, all of these blockades and whatever, they have a right to defend themselves. To which you say?
After the police spokesman indicated that he had briefly lost audio, Blitzer repeated the question with different wording:
The point is, the Palestinians say what you're doing, which is perhaps understandable, but what you're doing is making a bad situation even worse by shutting off neighborhoods, putting police officers all over the place, bringing in the military, that's only further exacerbating a very, very tense situation.
Blitzer turned to worrying about Israeli civilians being armed as he posed the first of three questions on the subject:
The Israeli Public Service Minister approved steps today that would make it easier, we're told, for civilians, for Israeli civilians to obtain gun permits. Do you think Israeli citizens should be defending the streets with more guns on their sides, armed?
Rosenfeld responded:
Absolutely, there's no problem with that issue whatsoever. The more Israelis that are walking around with pistols, that is important that the members of the public can also respond and react. Let's not forget that just over a week ago, a Palestinian 18-year-old woman stabbed an Israeli man in the back of his neck in the Old City. He pulled out his weapon and he responded and he shot that Palestinian woman who was, in fact, taken to a hospital in serious condition. So it is effective.
Pointing out that Israelis with guns have undergone firearm training while serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, the police spokesman continued:
Every Israeli walking around with a pistol has gone through three years of IDF training, and, therefore, there's no problem whatsoever, on the part of individuals that are walking around and personal security officers that are also in and around the streets that supports the general security that's taking place in coordination with the Israeli national police.
Not convinced, the CNN host followed up:
So you're saying that Israeli citizens not only in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv, all over the country should start packing weapons right now, walking around with pistols?
After Rosenfeld that Israeli gun owners have been trained in their use and they are valuable in providing security, Bliltzer still persisted as he wrapped up the interview:
Well, one final question, Micky, before I let you go. Aren't you concerned, though, it's one thing for police and military to walk around with weapons, but it's another thing for civilians simply to be walking around with weapons. Some of them may be trained, some of them not so well-trained, Aren't you concerned that they might simply shoot before they really know for sure there's a danger?
Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the Wednesday, October 14, The Situation Room on CNN:
5:09 p.m.
WOLF BLITZER: Israel clearly stepping up security, but the unpredictable and seemingly unorganized wave of violence poses a new kind of challenge. Joining us now is the Israeli police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld. Micky, thanks for joining us. The violence seems to be getting worse by the day. Roadblocks are being established in some Arab neighborhoods, but is shutting down the neighborhoods and bringing in more Israeli troops the answer here?
(MICKY ROSENFELD, ISRAELI POLICE SPOKESMAN)
Yeah, I was going to say, Micky, I understand the need for security, but the Palestinians say, their point is that these security measures that Israel is imposing, they say, makes the situation, a bad situation even worse. And they also then say, with all this Israeli presence, all of these blockades and whatever, they have a right to defend themselves. To which you say?(Rosenfeld does not hear the later part of the question, so Blitzer has to repeat it.)
The point is, the Palestinians say what you're doing, which is perhaps understandable, but what you're doing is making a bad situation even worse by shutting off neighborhoods, putting police officers all over the place, bringing in the military, that's only further exacerbating a very, very tense situation.(ROSENFELD)
The Israeli Public Service Minister approved steps today that would make it easier, we're told, for civilians, for Israeli civilians to obtain gun permits. Do you think Israeli citizens should be defending the streets with more guns on their sides, armed?
MICKY ROSENFELD, ISRAELI POLICE SPOKESMAN: Absolutely, there's no problem with that issue whatsoever. The more Israelis that are walking around with pistols, that is important that the members of the public can also respond and react. Let's not forget that just over a week ago, a Palestinian 18-year-old woman stabbed an Israeli man in the back of his neck in the Old City. He pulled out his weapon and he responded and he shot that Palestinian woman who was, in fact, taken to a hospital in serious condition. So it is effective.Every Israeli walking around with a pistol has gone through three years of IDF training, and, therefore, there's no problem whatsoever, on the part of individuals that are walking around and personal security officers that are also in and around the streets that supports the general security that's taking place in coordination with the Israeli national police.
BLITZER: So you're saying that Israeli citizens not only in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv, all over the country should start packing weapons right now, walking around with pistols?(Rosenfeld reiterates the value of having well-trained, armed Israelis carrying guns who can assist in security.)
BLITZER: Well, one final question, Micky, before I let you go. Aren't you concerned, though, it's one thing for police and military to walk around with weapons, but it's another thing for civilians simply to be walking around with weapons. Some of them may be trained, some of them not so well-trained, Aren't you concerned that they might simply shoot before they really know for sure there's a danger?
ROSENFELD: There are very strict firing orders when one is allowed to open fire both for the Israeli police as well as for citizens. One is only allowed to open fire when you are in a life-threatening situation, but unfortunately what we've seen over the last 10 day is sporadic attacks that have taken place in many cities around the country, and therefore, in this moment in time, we have to make sure that heightened security continues, that people that are walking around with their own personal weapons and lots of Israeli police and border police and undercover units that are working in different areas is essential. The rapid response of our police officers has prevented Israelis from being injured or even killed, and this will continue as long as necessary until the situation calms down.
