Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has said that the Jerusalem shooting underscored the significance of arming civilians and pledged to persist in the distribution of weapons among the public.

“Weapons save lives,” Gvir said on X. “Despite the criticism from all kinds of parties, I will continue this policy of handing out weapons everywhere, both to emergency rooms and to civilians,” the far-right ultra-nationalist minister said.

“We have a strong police force, we have a strong army, but there is no policeman everywhere, so where there are civilian weapons, it can save lives,” he said.