{"id":57412,"date":"2024-05-23T18:54:36","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T18:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/23\/in-a-city-of-ancient-jewish-mysticism-israelis-arm-for-a-fight\/"},"modified":"2024-05-23T18:54:36","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T18:54:36","slug":"in-a-city-of-ancient-jewish-mysticism-israelis-arm-for-a-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/23\/in-a-city-of-ancient-jewish-mysticism-israelis-arm-for-a-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"In a City of Ancient Jewish Mysticism, Israelis Arm for a Fight"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/05\/23\/multimedia\/23israel-guns-01-pfvw-promo\/23israel-guns-01-pfvw-facebookJumbo.jpg?fit=1050,549&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"In a City of Ancient Jewish Mysticism, Israelis Arm for a Fight\" title=\"In a City of Ancient Jewish Mysticism, Israelis Arm for a Fight\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Eyal Ben-Ari tugged at the heavy assault rifle hanging over his shoulder as he tiptoed out of his pink house at sunrise, hoping not to wake his wife or six children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Walking to synagogue in Safed, a hill town above the Sea of Galilee known for centuries as a center of kabbalah, or ancient Jewish mysticism, he said he still didn\u2019t feel great about the gun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Sleeping with the rifle under his pillow, he worried about it being stolen. After his 13-year-old son came home with a toy replica, Mr. Ben-Ari considered returning the real thing, doubting his decision to join the newly formed civilian militia that had given him the weapon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cI feel like it\u2019s very \u2014 artificial,\u201d he said, struggling to find the right word in English, looking down at the gun. \u201cIt\u2019s not human. It\u2019s not life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">At the synagogue, men with graying beards and black suits \u2014 all fellow members of the Chabad movement, an ultra-Orthodox sect of Judaism \u2014 slapped Mr. Ben-Ari on the back. They were happy to see him. Happy to see his gun. It was the only one there, but far from unique. In this small city near the Lebanon border, where Hezbollah\u2019s rockets have often rained down in recent months, Israel\u2019s deep sense of vulnerability has led to a surge of citizens arming themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In Safed, as in the rest of Israel, people fear a repeat of Oct. 7, when gunmen with Hamas crossed from Gaza into Israel and killed 1,200 people in rural villages, army bases and cities, according to Israeli authorities. The police and the military were slow to respond that day. In many communities, the only ones fighting back were volunteers with rapid response teams that are known in Israel as Kitat Konenut.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Before the attack, much of Safed didn\u2019t think it needed such a group. For decades, this city of 40,000 has <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/jewish-center-of-mysticism-isnt-just-for-celebs\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">drawn the very religious<\/a> and very creative, those seeking to commune with nature, art and wine, or pray at Safed\u2019s main landmark \u2014 a hillside cemetery where 16th-century rabbis lie in graves painted baby blue to signify bringing the sky and heaven down to earth. Madonna, a kabbalah convert, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/2009-09-04\/ty-article\/mystical-madonna-visits-safed-tomb-of-kabbalistic-great\/0000017f-f741-ddde-abff-ff65a0060000\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">visited<\/a> in 2009.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">These days, tourists are too afraid to come. Safed, called Tzfat in Hebrew, now sees itself a city under siege, Israel in miniature, struggling to reconcile God, love, and light with grief, rage, fear and a craving for protection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cPeople are concerned,\u201d said Yossi Kakon, Safed\u2019s mayor, in an interview at his office overlooking the city. \u201cThey want guns.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He stood up. On his hip sat a black pistol, newly acquired.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-1u37br4 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-20f8995d\">100,000 New Guns<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Guns, of course, have long been like stars of David in Israel: too common to discuss.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Military service is compulsory, and full-time soldiers and reservists are required to carry their weapons at all times, which means they show up in unexpected places: with backpack-laden students on public buses; bumping into the legs of fathers pushing strollers in Jerusalem; on the shoulders of young women by the beach in Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Kitat Konenut have also been woven into the country\u2019s security fabric for decades. Many of the groups formed around kibbutzim and villages near Israel\u2019s borders after the Arab-Israel war of 1967.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The earliest volunteers for the Kitat Konenut were often <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/forward.com\/opinion\/137789\/readers-questions-answered-israel-hebrew-guns-and\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">sharpshooters<\/a> or veterans with elite military training. Over time, the groups seemed less necessary and as some of their old guns started to disappear to theft or loss, the Israel Defense Forces or IDF imposed tighter restrictions: guns had to be kept at an armory, with keys held by a trusted local leader.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">On Oct. 7, some of those leaders <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2023\/12\/22\/world\/europe\/beeri-massacre.html\" title=\"\">were the first ones killed<\/a>. Those who had guns saved lives. In the village of Pri Gan, Azri Natan, one Kitat Konenut fighter in his 70s told me he held off gunmen for hours, alone, firing from behind a palm tree in his yard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Stories like his led Israeli politicians to champion more arms for civilians. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel\u2019s right-wing National Security Minister, has made it a personal priority.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In March, after making the process for getting a gun easier and faster, he <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/ben-gvir-says-israel-safer-after-issuing-100000-gun-licenses-since-october-7\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">announced<\/a> that 100,000 licenses had been approved since October. Another 200,000 were in the pipeline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWeapons save lives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Critics, however, worry that even with Israel\u2019s background checks and training requirements, too many guns are being given out with too little concern for how they might fuel internal tensions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank are among those arming most rapidly, at a time when settler violence is at its <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unocha.org\/publications\/report\/occupied-palestinian-territory\/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-110-enarhe\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">highest level<\/a> since the U.N. began recording attacks in 2006. And while <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/hamodia.com\/2024\/01\/11\/police-official-from-70-rapid-response-teams-we-currently-have-900-teams-with-10300-volunteers\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">hundreds of new rapid response teams<\/a> have formed in municipalities that are majority Jewish, Arab communities \u2014 including those close to Israel\u2019s borders \u2014 have <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/israel-news\/2024-01-18\/ty-article\/.premium\/only-jewish-communities-are-eligible-for-state-sponsored-gun-handout-arabs-are-left-out\/0000018d-1be5-db77-ad9f-dff702560000\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">not been granted the same leeway<\/a> to form armed volunteer groups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">To many Arab Israelis, who make up about 20 percent of the country\u2019s population, Mr. Ben-Gvir\u2019s gun campaign looks like a threat \u2014 a politically motivated tool for intimidation or state-sanctioned violence, engineered by a government minister from a settlement, who has <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/extremist-mk-ben-gvir-pulls-out-gun-during-sheikh-jarrah-clashes\/?utm_campaign=most_popular&amp;utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=article_end\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">brandished a weapon<\/a> in public and has several convictions for incitement to racism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cJust thinking that Minister Ben-Gvir is behind this means that his motives are racist and anti-Arab,\u201d said Asad Ghanem, a political science professor at the University of Haifa. Mr. Ben-Gvir\u2019s spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Habib Daoud, the owner of a restaurant in Rameh, an Arab town near Safed, said, \u201cPeople are afraid, yes, but we\u2019re more afraid because the guns aren\u2019t in our hands.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Safed\u2019s volunteer fighters insist their mission is purely defensive. With the exception of local colleges that draw students from across the area, the city\u2019s Arab population \u2014 <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nli.org.il\/en\/books\/NNL_ALEPH990022497560205171\/NLI\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">a prewar majority<\/a> \u2014 has mostly fled, or been expelled since 1948, never to return, as part of what Palestinians call the Nakba. The old Arab Quarter is now the Artists\u2019 Quarter. The main mosque is a gallery with white walls and chic lighting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The threat, for Safed\u2019s Jewish community, feels just over the horizon. It\u2019s a community that has voted more strongly for right-wing parties like Mr. Ben-Gvir\u2019s in recent years, and so for many now \u2014 especially without tourists around \u2014 time is spent preparing for the worst. Rabbis and civilian officials now carry pistols. Instead of praying or glassblowing with tour groups, residents are adding bomb shelters to schools. At a city government warehouse, shelves are packed with black flak jackets in shiny plastic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In Safed, the responses to the war fall on an especially wide spectrum. At one end, there is unconditional love and Kabbalah\u2019s emphasis on bringing light to the world, with expressions of sadness for the suffering in Gaza wrought by war sitting alongside a hunger for safety; at the other are dark visions \u2014 an apocalyptic belief that the Jews of Israel are at the start of a holy war, a bloody battle to end all wars and produce a Messiah.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-1u37br4 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-4bca25e\">\u2018We Can\u2019t Rely on Anyone\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Ben-Ari falls somewhere in the hazy middle. At home one evening, his nurturing instincts were on display when one of his daughters accidentally tipped over a giant jar of instant coffee in the kitchen and he simply smiled at the powdery mess.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He grew up on a kibbutz. He said he became religious only after serving in the military and going to India with plans to become a yoga teacher. Now he laughs at the memory \u2014 \u201cthat was a long time ago,\u201d he says \u2014 but with his faith and his job as a social worker, he still seems eager to make people feel better. The gun doesn\u2019t exactly help.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cMy clients, many of them, are afraid of it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">His wife, Lihi Ben-Ari, is too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cI don\u2019t like it,\u201d she said, sitting at the kitchen table with two daughters sculpting clay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cAt first, it was fine \u2014 we were scared,\u201d she said. \u201cNow?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">She walked to a bedroom and pulled out the toy assault rifle belonging to their son, delivering a scolding glare that softened into a shrug of what-do\u2013you-expect.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThe soldiers have become the superheroes,\u201d she said. \u201cEveryone wants to be like one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Ben-Ari, 44, said he was constantly telling his son that his military-grade weapon was just for defense, \u201cthat it\u2019s not something we like.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt\u2019s a duty,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">That is also the argument made by Safed\u2019s Kitat Konenut leaders. One night, Netanel Belams and Shmuel Tilles, described by city officials as the commander and deputy commander of the group, agreed to meet at a wine shop at the base of the Artist\u2019s Quarter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Tilles, the shop\u2019s owner, greeted customers seeking craft beer or a nice Cabernet with \u201cShalom,\u201d meaning peace, while holding a high-powered rifle with red-dot sight for quick target acquisition at close range.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He and Mr. Belams hesitated to describe their previous military service but confirmed they had both worked with the special forces. Over craft beer in plastic cups, they explained that their mission now was simple.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">As Mr. Tilles put it, speaking in English with the hint of a Bronx accent brought to Israel by his parents decades ago: \u201cOur job is to bring security to our people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He said they effectively formed the Kitat Konenut on Oct. 7 when around 15 seasoned combat veterans in Safed, in close contact with the Israeli military, got ready in case Hezbollah decided to bring their own forces into Israel. When that didn\u2019t happen, they made plans to officially form a rapid response team that would coordinate with the authorities in an attack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">More than 100 men volunteered. The commanders selected 60 to 70, favoring those with combat experience. The government provided weapons and paid for training, which they\u2019ve done around once a week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In photos of their sessions, most of the men \u2014 including Mr. Tilles and Mr. Belams \u2014 have the long beards associated with the Orthodox community, known as Haredi in Israel. They are a small minority in the Israeli military because of a longstanding exemption from conscription for those studying in seminaries, but their presence in Safed has been expanding for a while and the war has made them more unified and organized.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Politically, they mobilized a few months ago to elect Mr. Kakon \u2014 Safed\u2019s first Haredi mayor. And with the Kitat Konenut, they have found a new community role. Terms like \u201creligious Rambo\u201d are now thrown around by secular officials in Safed with a degree of admiration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">And yet, in a crisis, it\u2019s hard to tell how obedient they would be to the traditional chain of command. Mr. Belams in particular did not hide that he sees his role as ordained by God.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cAfter Oct. 7, we saw that we can\u2019t rely on anyone \u2014 not the IDF, the police or the state,\u201d he said. He added that he believed he was on the front line of a holy war that would bring about the end of times and the messiah\u2019s coming to Earth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThis is the start of Gog and Magog,\u201d Mr. Belams said, referring to a battle prophesied in the Bible that some Jews believe will lead to Messianic redemption.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Tilles tried to make clear that fighting was not their first choice. \u201cI\u2019m into wine. I don\u2019t even want to do this,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s only because of the threat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He added, however, that the same kabbalah tenets that tell him to \u201cmake this a place that God could dwell in with peace and love\u201d also say that \u201cwhen somebody comes to kill you, you\u2019ve got to protect yourself first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Asked about the war in Gaza, he argued that because Hamas, in his view, teaches children to hate and murder Jews, Israel has to fight with an expansive definition of national defense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt\u2019s a war over here. There\u2019s no such thing as innocent,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can\u2019t say we have to give our enemies food in order for them to one day come back and kill us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">For many of his neighbors, it is a question of priorities. Is Safed (or Israel) more likely to thrive by focusing on war and weapons, or through introspection and deeper change?<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">At a small gallery near the wine shop, Avraham Loewenthal, an artist and kabbalah devotee originally from Michigan, tried to elevate the conversation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThe war is really between love and hatred \u2014 between focusing on the bad in others or trying to understand them and find the good,\u201d he said. \u201cAre we blaming others for all the bad in the world or striving to see how together we can make it better for everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He said he felt deep pain from the suffering of the people in Gaza and also that Israel has no choice but to keep fighting to disable Hamas and other terror groups. Asked if he was able to extend his unconditional love to those shooting rockets at Israel \u2014 in February an attack killed one soldier in Safed, and wounded eight more \u2014 he initially gave a roundabout answer. A few days later, he emailed a clarification.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt is hard to believe there is goodness in people who are doing horrible things,\u201d he wrote. \u201cWe need to do everything we can to stop them, but trying to see God in everyone is what we are here to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<h2 class=\"css-1u37br4 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-4d366bf5\">Seeing Threats Among the Neighbors<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">At Mr. Ben-Ari\u2019s home, the journey also continues. His wife is still struggling with how to reconcile her faith with his weapon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt\u2019s not our way,\u201d she said at one point.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Ben-Ari said he felt a little better knowing that his rabbi approved \u2014 he asked before joining the Kitat Konenut. But he still can\u2019t shake the sadness of seeing divisions being sharpened. After the Hamas attack, one of his daughters started saying \u201cI\u2019m afraid the Arabs are going to take me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cShe\u2019s 4,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He admitted that after Oct. 7 he also lost \u201cthat safety feeling\u201d around Arabs in Israel and elsewhere. Safed\u2019s right-wing chief rabbi, Shmuel Eliyahu, has <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2010\/dec\/02\/rabbi-landlord-jewish-arab-students-safed\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">a long history<\/a> of pushing for Jews to expel Arabs outright (his office declined interview requests), but Mr. Ben-Ari seemed heartbroken by his own personal shift. Fear, sadness, responsibility, he made clear, they were hardening hearts and daily life in Safed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Did that mean he would keep the gun if or when the war ended?<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The weapon sat in his lap, marked by two colorful stickers: one identifying the weapon and its owner as part of the Kitat Konenut; the other a symbol for the Chabad movement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. Ben-Ari paused and thought for a minute about the question. Then he said yes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThe situation needs this,\u201d he said, as his children played all around him. \u201cIt needs me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-798hid etfikam0\">Adam Sella contributed reporting from Safed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/23\/world\/middleeast\/israel-safed-guns.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eyal Ben-Ari tugged at the heavy assault rifle hanging over his shoulder as he tiptoed out of his pink house at sunrise, hoping not to wake his wife or six children. Walking to synagogue in Safed, a hill town above the Sea of Galilee known for centuries as a center of kabbalah, or ancient Jewish [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57413,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/05\/23\/multimedia\/23israel-guns-01-pfvw-promo\/23israel-guns-01-pfvw-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8221,9695,122,4822,24513,9049,56198],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57412"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57412"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57414,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57412\/revisions\/57414"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}