Orthodox Jews taking firearms training in wake of Hamas attack

Members of Israel’s orthodox Jewish communities have taken up firearms training, in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack. At a shooting range designed to provide training in counter-insurgency, participants can be seen firing paintball handguns, practicing drawing their weapons and taking cover. ‘We thought that we could trust the police or the army and now we saw that if something happens, there will be time, critical time, maybe ten minutes, maybe an hour, maybe three hours before the police and army come,’ said Roni Ayalon, the firearms instructor and former soldier leading the training. The plan is to create voluntary ‘neighborhood security’ teams to protect Israeli villages in an attempt to prevent further attacks and to reassure residents that help is on hand should the worst happen.