Israeli Announcer Broadcasts Wearing a Gun on Waist... "Government Also Encourages"

A female announcer in Israel was spotted wearing a gun on her waist during a broadcast. Since the Hamas attack by the Palestinian armed faction in October last year, civilian gun ownership in Israel has increased, and the government is reportedly actively encouraging it.

On the 4th (local time), the New York Post and others reported that Rital Shemesh, a host on Israel Channel 14, was seen sitting at the anchor desk with a gun strapped to her waist during a broadcast.

Rital Shemesh, host of Israel Channel 14 [Image source=Captured from X (formerly Twitter)]

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In response, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad posted the photo on X (formerly Twitter) and commented, "We hope she can be a role model for everyone else as well." The exact time the photo was taken has not been disclosed.

Israel previously enforced strict gun laws, but carrying firearms became much easier immediately after the Hamas attack. In particular, the number of gun permit applications surged to 150,000 after the Hamas attack. During the same period last year, there were only 42 applications.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "The government will encourage civilians and help them arm themselves for self-defense." Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir also emphasized, "Gun ownership is a preventive measure against tensions between Jews and Israel's minority Arab populations."

Meanwhile, as the photo became a hot topic, Shemesh herself shared the photo on her social media account, posting the phrase "Don't mess with Jewish women" along with an Israeli flag emoji. She also revealed footage of herself practicing shooting at a firing range at the end of last month.

Shemesh practicing shooting [Photo by X (formerly Twitter) capture]

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Shemesh is known as a journalist reporting on Israeli military operations in the Gaza area and is also a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

After the Hamas attack began, she stated, "The entire nation is being mobilized for the war against terror, the war against Hamas," and added, "In the 75 years since the founding of the state, Israel has never seen such a massacre."

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