Former Shin Bet senior official warns before Yom Kippur: "Come armed to synagogues"

Former Shin Bet senior official Arik Barbing calls on licensed gun owners to come armed to synagogues on Yom Kippur, due to the difficulty of fully securing all houses of worship. Meanwhile, he addresses the "turning of the tables" scenario in Judea and Samaria and warns of a local incident that could escalate, while emphasizing that the IDF and security forces control the area and have access to every point.

Former Shin Bet senior official Arik Barbing issued a sharp warning ahead of Yom Kippur, calling on licensed gun owners to come armed to synagogues. In an interview with 103FM, Barbing explained that it is impossible to fully secure every synagogue, and therefore the presence of armed individuals is a "minimum" at the level of "life-saving." He recalled past severe incidents at synagogues and at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva. Additionally, Barbing addressed the "turning of the tables" scenario in Judea and Samaria, where weapons of the Palestinian police could be turned against Israelis. He held a professional discussion quietly, without it reaching the media, to avoid creating tension. However, he emphasized that the security reality in Judea and Samaria is fundamentally different from that before October 7, and that the IDF and security forces control the area and have access to every point. According to him, he is not aware of an organized turning of the tables, but a local incident could develop into a more serious escalation.