# why so many Palestinian knife attacks? No guns? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 2016, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-palestinian-knife-attacks-no-guns/766151 "2016-09-17T12:10:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-palestinian-knife-attacks-no-guns/766151/1 "2016-09-17T12:10:01Z")
Again, we read about an attack on an Israeli soldier by a Palestinian. A stabbing. Is this a particularly meaningful form of injuring someone, or do Palestinians lack access to guns? Or is there another reason that so many attackers use knives? Here in the U.S., most of our weaponized person to person violence relies on guns, I think. (I think this question asks for a factual answer as opposed to an opinion. If mods think otherwise, I’ll expect to see it moved.) ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-palestinian-knife-attacks-no-guns/766151/2 "2016-09-17T12:20:41Z")
They are an occupied people. Sport shooting is probably not an allowed hobby. The usual excuses for rural people to have guns - wolves attacking our livestock, bears in the woods - don’t exist. Considering the earlier prevalence of bombs and gun attacks, I suspect that for the average Palestinian, getting hands on a gun is extremely difficult. Should also point out that it seems to be any weapon of opportunity. A year or two ago there was a case where a Palestinian driver drove into a crowd of people at a Jerusalem LRT stop. The lack of access to weapons is compounded by the fact these seem to be random acts taken out of frustration, a series of copy-cat attacks; no evidence I’ve read of actual organization - so no pipeline to provide weapons. Plus, for Palestinians actually allowed into Israel from Palestine, there are checkpoints at the great wall. For those with the right profile, these can be pretty invasive - the people in front of us had to get out of the car, the trunk was wide open being searched, and of course you need the right papers just to get out. Hiding a flat knife is much simpler than hiding a firearm. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-palestinian-knife-attacks-no-guns/766151/3 "2016-09-17T14:34:05Z")
Surely the Palestinians and their Israeli occupiers are leaving themselves open to invasion by the King of England with that sort of crazy attitude to home and recreational personal self-defence. Clearly they need to safen up and form some armed militias. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-palestinian-knife-attacks-no-guns/766151/4 "2016-09-17T15:04:10Z")
Perhaps because it’s easier to conceal a knife since they are flat and can be made of materials not easily detected. Could also be a cultural thing where it’s considered a more personal kind of attack. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-palestinian-knife-attacks-no-guns/766151/5 "2016-09-17T16:32:38Z")
Israel has very effective gun control inside Israel proper - there are few guns on the streets - and even more effective gun control in the territories (with a major assist by the Palestinian Authority). Since the Israelis and the PA shut down the bomb makers, knives and cars are just about the only weapons still in play. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-palestinian-knife-attacks-no-guns/766151/6 "2016-09-17T20:38:40Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Israel has very effective gun control inside Israel proper - there are few guns on the streets - and even more effective gun control in the territories (with a major assist by the Palestinian Authority). Since the Israelis and the PA shut down the bomb makers, knives and cars are just about the only weapons still in play. Thank you. I sought a specific answer. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-palestinian-knife-attacks-no-guns/766151/7 "2016-09-18T00:47:17Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Here in the U.S., most of our weaponized person to person violence relies on guns, I think. I’m not sure this is accurate. Remember that majority of person to person violence is domestic violence, and those often use whatever weapons are at had, from beer bottles to pots & pans, or just no other weapon than their fists. Domestic violence far outnumbers robberies & muggings, even when much goes unreported. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-palestinian-knife-attacks-no-guns/766151/8 "2016-09-18T00:58:48Z")
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