Israel’s security is renowned for being particularly tight, but officials failed to detect a 3-D printed gun when a local TV show snuck it into the Knesset – the country’s parliament building in Jerusalem. Twice.Israel’s Channel 10 has given us a taste of what might happen when the wrong people get their hands on 3-D printing technology.

Masdar in Abu Dhabi has purchased a 3-D printer to manufacture solar cells, and Objet is using the technology to print dashboards for electric cars, but not everyone who uses the technology has noble intentions.

After printing a 3-D pistol on camera, the staff of the “Tzinor Layla” (Nightline) program then proceeded to sneak into the heavily fortified Knesset building undetected, according to Ha’aretz.

One of the journalists stood within feet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the gun in his possession.

“He passed all the stages of the security check, which even included an inspection with a magnetometer, and approached the prime minister without anyone noticing the pistol,” writes Ha’aretz.

At another time, the crew entered the Chairwoman of the Interior Committee’s office, also undetected.

Although the TV channel was criticized for their “dubious experiment,” they raised very interesting questions about how Israel (and the rest of the world) will respond to a brave new world where just about anyone with some means can print deadly, unlicensed weapons at their own home.

“This is a new phenomenon that confronts all the security systems in Israel and abroad with an entirely new type of challenge,” said Knesset Security Officer Yosef Grif.

“In the Knesset, as in all the government ministries and public institutions, the subject is now being examined in order to provide a solution as soon as possible.”

Cody Wilson made headlines all over the world a couple of months ago when he distributed video footage of the world’s first 3-D printed pistol successfully firing live bullets at a target.

Just 25 years old, the Texas law student started a firm called Defense Distributed, through which he obtained a license to manufacture weapons.

Image of 3D printed plastic gun above via Channel 10.

To justify the Liberator and other “wiki weapons,” the company cites John Milton’s Areopagitica, for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, written to the Parliament of England in response to the Licensing Order of 1643 that sought to censor publications prior to printing.

They also site the second amendment to the US Constitution that gives all “men” the right to keep and bear arms.

Moves have been made in the United States to require anyone who prints a gun to have it registered, but we all know that’s not going to happen.

Image of Defense Distributed 3-D printed pistol via Kamenev, Ha’aretz

Related

Comments

comments