I will never understand this.
If the Jews were armed during the rise of Nazism and WWII, could the Holocaust have taken place on such a scale.
The story if the Warsaw Ghetto belies this stupidity. The Jews in the WG made sure they were heavily armed... with guns, and when attacked fought a heroic battle at kept the Nazis at bay for a long time, killing off a whole lot of them.
In follow-up to my prior post, I did some pondering as to why Israeli attitudes are so different compared to their European cousins in the states...consider this series of events unique to those that made it to Palestine after the war:
1.) The Holocaust. Surviving near-total industrial elimination of your kin, on a scale unseen before in history.
2.) Palestine/early State of Israel. Escaping to your promised land, and for the first time in life, there’s no secular authority to be servile to (that will protect you, anyway)...quite literally, you and yours are on your own.
3.) Knowledge of those who resisted, be it the Warsaw Ghetto, Sobibor, Dachau, et al....there might even be a few of the survivors in your community.
4.) On a personal level, picking up a surplus Mauser 98K or Sten gun, blasting several bad guys looking to eliminate you and yours, holding the battle line for your village...and for the first time in your life, realizing you’ve resisted AND WON.
I can see that (especially #4, with personal experience of the great force multiplier that is the modern firearm) knocking the scales from a LOT of eyes.