JEWISH HISTORY DOESN'T MAKE GUN CONTROL LOGICAL - IT MAKES IT TERRIFYING

Jewish History, Gun Rights, and the American Disarmament Puzzle

 

By Doris Wise

Jews Can Shoot 

Nov 30, 2025

 

 

 

People often ask: “Given Jewish history, why are Jews overwhelmingly anti-gun and vote Democrat?” Let’s start by clarifying something: Jews aren’t overwhelmingly anything. We’re about 2% of the American population, and we argue about everything—always have. The premise behind that question is already wrong.

The real question is far more urgent: given the history of disarmed populations being slaughtered—Jews in Europe, Armenian Christians, Ukrainian Christians, Chinese Christians, and countless others—why would any American willingly give up the Second Amendment or vote for the party that promises to restrict it? Jewish history doesn’t make gun control logical—it makes it terrifying.

When I look around today, what baffles me isn’t the 2% of Jewish Americans. It’s the 65% of Americans, mostly Christians, who support candidates and policies that would have left our ancestors defenseless. Roughly 90 million Christian adults in America favor stricter gun laws or outright bans, compared to maybe 5–6 million Jewish adults. The numbers tell the story.

If you want to understand why tens of millions of Americans, despite crystal-clear historical lessons, choose to voluntarily disarm themselves and vote for a party that would do it for them, don’t look at Jews. Look in the mirror—or at your church parking lot on Sunday. That’s where the actual majority sits.

Jewish history screams: Never again—and this time armed. A whole lot of American Christians apparently heard: “Never mind if we take those?” and answered: “Sure, take them.” That’s the head-scratcher. Not 2% of the population. The 65%.

This is not a per capita issue. The point isn’t the size of the Jewish population or the percentage within any group. It’s about who is voluntarily disarming themselves despite historical evidence of the consequences. The lesson from history is absolute: disarmament leads to vulnerability. Whether a population is large or small, the danger is real. What matters today is the total number of Americans supporting policies that would leave people defenseless. That’s why the contrast between roughly 90 million Christian adults favoring stricter gun laws and 5–6 million Jewish adults who do is critical. It’s about real-world impact, not proportional representation.

I don’t bring up Israel’s gun laws because I live in the United States. I can only speak to the country I live in—the country I must survive in. Israel is another country, and its citizens have the right—and the responsibility—to raise concerns and advocate for changes within their own country. That is their role; it is not ours.

When Americans, including American Jews, comment publicly on Israel’s gun laws, it rarely serves any constructive purpose. Instead, it can unintentionally amplify antisemitic narratives and distract from the work that actually matters here at home. At the end of the day, people tend to respect those who hold their convictions firmly, even if others disagree, rather than those who appear to criticize from the outside.

The lesson of Jewish history is clear: populations that disarm themselves are vulnerable. This is not just a moral or symbolic point—it is a practical one. The stakes are real, and the consequences are severe.

America is at a crossroads. Will we heed the lesson—or ignore it at our peril? The question isn’t about the size of the Jewish population or the percentage within any group. It’s about the millions who choose to disarm themselves despite history. That choice, not the demographics, determines vulnerability—and the time to consider it is now.