Ex-Shin Bet Official Urges Armed Israelis to Carry Weapons to Synagogues on Yom Kippur

A former senior official in the Shin Bet security agency, Arik Barbing, has issued a dramatic call for armed worshippers to bring their weapons to synagogues on Yom Kippur, citing the current security situation. Barbing, who previously held senior positions including head of the Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem region and head of the Shin Bet's cyber division, stated in a radio interview that this measure is necessary for self-defense, comparing it to saving a life.

Barbing highlighted the difficulty of providing comprehensive security for all prayer locations, referencing past attacks on synagogues and yeshivas. "It is impossible to hermetically seal every synagogue," he warned, adding that "the public today has many more weapons than in the past." He urged synagogue leaders to ensure armed individuals attend services, emphasizing that this is a minimum requirement given the life-threatening circumstances.

The former Shin Bet official described armed civilians as the first line of defense, stating that "the most correct solution is responsibility and understanding that we are in a very sensitive security situation, and that synagogues are targets for terrorists who can carry out attacks." He believes that licensed gun owners are the primary solution for protecting worshippers in the current climate.