All too often its takes a tragedy to bring about change and this is exactly the case here, regarding the regulation in the IDF compelling soldiers to leave their weapons on base when returning home. This regulation was set into a place in 2005 in response to the theft of 95 military weapons in one year. Soldiers at times left weapons unattended in vehicles or in other locations and military commanders decided to compel soldiers to leave their weapons in base. In truth, many soldiers were pleased for when they take their weapons home, if lacking a proper lock, the soldier is required to carry the weapon every place his goes.

There were exceptions, including officers and soldiers returning him from ‘the line’, meaning they were in the field and not on base and commanders did not wish to compel them to travel to their bases to give in their guns before returning home. Once the regulation was in place, weapons’ thefts dropped 50%.

While one cannot know if IDF Sgt. Tuvia Yanai Weissman would be alive if he had his automatic weapon, it is certain that he might have been able to respond to the fatal attack. It was Weissman who tried to take out the terrorists before being killed but unfortunately, he was unarmed.

Weissman was murdered by terrorists who first wounded another man while shopping in the Rami Levi supermarket in the Shar Binyamin shopping center a few kilometers from his home community of Maale Michmas in the Shomron. Since the attack it was learned the Weissman asked his platoon commander for permission to take his weapon home but permission was denied by the young lieutenant in line with regulations.

It is now announced IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott has amended the regulation and soldiers will be carrying their weapons home with them. Prior to leaving base they will receive instructions how to safeguard the weapons. The new regulation is expected to go into effect in the coming days.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)