The wave of terror attacks unleashed by Hamas on October 7, 2023 has had enormous implications for global politics, up to an including the recent bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites. But while Israel’s response to the attacks has changed the face of the Middle East, the reaction by ordinary Israelis has helped to change the country itself.
While Israel has a reputation for a heavily armed citizenry, thanks to the universal military service and the common sight of off-duty soldiers with their rifles in public settings, the truth is that the rules for civilian gun ownership have always been fairly restrictive. After October 7, though, there’s been a huge surge in the number of citizens seeking to keep and bear arms.
Israelis have submitted over 403,000 requests for firearms licenses since October 7, out of which more than 217,000 conditional approvals have been granted, the National Security Ministry informs the Knesset National Security Committee.
Out of the 217,000 conditional approvals, 165,000 permanent licenses have been granted, while 177,000 applications have been rejected, according to statistics presented to lawmakers. According to the ministry, around 335,000 Israelis currently hold firearms licenses.
Before October 7 there were about 172,000 permit holders, so the number of legally armed Israelis has nearly doubled in the past 18 months or so. That’s a staggering figure, but the large number of denials is also surprising. Here in the United States the denial rate for both concealed carry licenses and permits-to-purchase (in those states where these ridiculous laws are in place) is extremely low; somewhere around 1 to 2 percent. Almost half of Israel’s applications have been turned away, though the Times of Israel doesn’t say why those applicants have been denied.
In the wake of October 7, the National Security Ministry also granted temporary authority to approve gun license applications to Ben Gvir’s personal staff appointees, Knesset employees, and others. Several were subsequently investigated by police on suspicion that the ministry issued firearms permits without authority.
Last November, the High Court of Justice said that licenses were issued “seemingly without authority.”
I don’t know if the large number of denials is an attempt to course correct on any permits that might have been issued in haste or to the powerful and politically connected, or if this is just a case of a flood of applicants not realizing they might not meet the country’s restrictive criteria for possessing a gun.
Under Israel law, applicants can be denied for a variety of reasons; from not being proficient in Hebrew to not being able to show a justifiable need for a gun. Yes, Israel still operates under a “may issue” system, which not only opens the door to graft and corruption but can lead to ordinary, average, residents being deprived of the ability to protect themselves and their families. After the October 7 attack the National Security Ministry adopted a rule that anyone living in certain communities where threats existed automatically qualified to carry a weapon; even if they had not completed their military service, which is yet another requirement to lawfully possess a gun as a civilian.
I’d love to see these laws relaxed even further, but the debate over gun control is almost as fierce in Israel as it is here in the U.S., and the anti-gun forces have long had the upper hand. Ensuring access to the human right of self-defense is a work in progress, but given the substantial increase in gun-owning Israelis, I’d say progress is being made.
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