Jerusalem lives under the shadow of an ongoing threat: the illegal circulation of weapons. This week, a striking piece of drone footage revealed the dramatic moment when detectives from the Central Unit of the Shai District, alongside undercover Border Police officers in Jerusalem, arrested a 48-year-old man from Nablus in the middle of a busy road. Inside his car they discovered a pistol, an improvised “Carlo” submachine gun and a loaded magazine – a snapshot of a broader battle that defines the city’s fragile sense of security.
Jerusalem’s Struggle Against the Flow of Illegal Arms
The arrest was not a coincidence. A prolonged investigation had led police units to the suspect, who is believed to have been transporting weapons intended for the black market. The chase ended quickly, but the meaning lingers: every such seizure is viewed by Israeli police as a small barricade against the spread of unlicensed weapons threatening Jerusalem, from the bustling Mahane Yehuda market to the narrow alleys of Silwan.
Officials from the Shai District Police later declared their determination to continue: “We will act resolutely and in cooperation with other security bodies to stop arms trafficking and protect public safety.” The words frame the arrest not as an isolated event, but as another chapter in an ongoing struggle over security, authority and daily life in Jerusalem.
