Police are investigating, trying to understand why the many police officers who were on the scene before the off-duty soldier did not fire their weapons at the lone terrorist.
It should be pointed out that while many soldiers were also in the area, most soldiers today are not permitted to take their weapons home on leave, a decision made in response to the growing number of lost and stolen weapons.
In Wednesday’s attack, as was the case in the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva attack, police were on the scene during the early stages of the incident, but they failed to implement an appropriate response, to shoot at the terrorist.
In Wednesday’s attack, the off-duty soldier fired at the terrorist after climbing onto the moving bulldozer. In the Merkaz attack, an off-duty paratroop officer entered the building and neutralized the terrorist while two police personnel stood outside. In what some may view as a coincidental occurrence, the two soldiers who eliminated the terrorists are brothers-in-law.
Another point worth mentioning is the attack occurred in front of JCS Jerusalem Capital Studios, a hub for foreign press and camera personnel, explaining the quick response of the media and the film footage that has since been seen around the world.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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One Response
The law of engagement of fire is so strict that most (security and police included) do not react automatically by drawing their gun to fire. Case in point is the Halmish brothers that are sitting in jail for firing their guns in the air. The solder that has been crowned a hero essentially stole the gun from the holster of a police officer (illegal) that was trying to keep the steering wheel away from the terrorist. When I was stationed in Hevron for reserve duty, I brought along a hunting slingshot to use instead of my M16 as most of us see it as a broomstick and not a weapon.