National Security Minister reiterates call to ease gun permits for Israelis
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday reiterated his call to make it easier for civilians to obtain a license to carry firearms, describing it as one of his “overarching goals.”
Itamar Ben Gvir arrives to visit the Temple Mount, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City on Tisha B’Av, August 7, 2022. Photo: Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90
Ben-Gvir said he sees no reason why Israel Defence Forces combat veterans, for example, should not be allowed to carry weapons. Currently, he noted, many soldiers “absurdly” do not meet the criteria for obtaining a license.
“In the recent [terror] attacks, we saw how critical the response of citizens carrying weapons is,” he said. “This is a critical and life-saving security issue.”
Ben-Gvir noted that in the four-plus months since the government was formed, his office had issued 12,000 firearms licenses that were held up due to what he called bureaucratic complications.
“This is an [emergency],” he said, promising to see that many more permits will now be issued.
In February, Ben-Gvir vowed to push through a fivefold increase in firearm licenses in the wake of a terrorist attack that killed seven people at a synagogue in Jerusalem.
To this end, he has directed the Firearms Licensing Department to increase the number of new permits issued from roughly 2,000 to 10,000 per month.
Israel has much more stringent gun laws than the United States, despite much of the population being familiar with firearms due to the country’s near-universal compulsory military service.
In most cases, civilians may only carry pistols, and licenses are mainly dependent on completing firearms training. Most individuals can own only a single handgun, and be in possession of a fixed limit of bullets at any given time.
Applicants must meet minimum age requirements, have no criminal record, and provide a declaration signed by a doctor that they are physically and mentally healthy. Licenses must also be renewed every three years.
TPS
Israel should stick to its more conservative approach to civilians carrying guns. Clearly, the US is a terrible example of gun-toting citizens, where you have more Americans killing each other with guns than dying in any other way.
Ben-Gvir’s ‘over-arching goal’ to arm Israelis as a panacea for combatting terrorist acts is just what you would expect from this man. Both he and Smotrich, as well as Maoz, are inferior members of the Knesset and shouldn’t be there. They are a danger to firm, stable administration of the State with equity and good security in mind.