National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the city of Sderot this morning (Wednesday) and delivered a message to the press, where he warned among other things of a possible repeat of the riots during Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021, which must be prepared for.
"I instructed the Police Commissioner to prepare for a Guardian of the Walls 2 scenario," the minister said. "The police officers fought with human scum face to face. From this morning today, every resident of Sderot can carry a gun, go request weapons. Sderot has become an eligible settlement (to carry firearms)."
A senior source in the coalition was furious at this: "Ben Gvir is harming national security to get headlines. The entire defense establishment is making a supreme effort to separate the sectors and prevent flare-ups, we see these enormous efforts from the beginning of the fighting. Such a statement simply harms that effort."
Ben Gvir said that "I came here to the (police) station at Sderot to show appreciation, get acquainted, to give respect to the heroic battle to our heroic officers. I want to know and show appreciation for all those soldiers, police officers, Border Guards, SWAT teams, IDF soldiers, members of first response teams, and citizens who fought with these human scumbags face to face in battles of heroism. From Shabbat morning, the National Security Ministry has been busy with two things: strengthening the first response teams as much as possible, the readiness companies that are in the settlements, and handing out weapons."
Ben Gvir: "In favor of an emergency government"
"I think this war proved that the citizens are heroes, the war then proves how much we need to arm the citizens, the first response teams, this alongside a strong police. I want to tell you, police officers, SWAT teams, Border Guards - they were a light in the darkness, they killed more than 350 terrorists in face to face battles. We are full of admiration for these officers."
"I want to deliver an important message to the residents of Sderot: as part of the activity of the National Security Ministry, we decided already today to make Sderot an eligible settlement, and that means that every resident of Sderot can carry weapons, every resident of Sderot can carry weapons from this morning. I tell the citizens, go request weapons, but be patient because this department is bombarded with thousands upon thousands of requests."
"I want to say of a unity government, I say enough with the fake news, I'm in favor of an emergency government where we bring in everyone, there is no right, there is no left - everyone together. One last word to the People of Israel: we made it through the Holocaust, we made it through the Inquisition, we made it through Pharoah - we will make it through this, too. Be strong for our nation and the cities of our God."