Ben-Gvir Reform Exposed: The Plan - Another 30,<> Weapons on Israel's Streets | Israel Hayom

Gun licensing reform is expanding: more former soldiers and volunteers in civilian organizations will be able to issue gun licenses.

Israel Hayom has learned that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has ordered a change in the criteria for obtaining a license to carry a private firearm, including allowing anyone with a combat certificate, soldiers of settlement meetings and MDA volunteers to obtain a license to carry a firearm without the need for an additional test. According to the Ministry of National Security, the reform will lead to another 30,<> people carrying a rifle or a pistol.

Currently, a citizen who wishes to obtain a license to carry a firearm must meet the threshold conditions, which are citizenship or permanent residency in Israel for at least three years, must be at least 27 years old or 21 years old after military or national service, and the applicant must also be eligible to carry a firearm from the point of view of the Israel Police (examination of criminal record) and from a health perspective. After meeting these threshold conditions, the applicant must meet several criteria, some of which will be updated to include a greater number of citizens.

"A necessary move." Ben Gvir, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon

Veterans relief

As part of the reform, the "service in the security forces" exam will be updated, which allowed obtaining a license to carry weapons, which until now referred only to graduates of Rifle Training 07, and is expected to be expanded to include all military veterans who hold a combat certificate, according to the definition set by the IDF. This is an expansion of the populations eligible to apply for a license to carry a private firearm for combat units in the IDF. who until now were outside the definition of the criteria, such as armored corps, artillery, combat engineering and Border Police fighters.

Accordingly, according to the outline, any Israeli citizen over the age of 21 who has completed full military service and is entitled to a combat certificate will be able to apply for a license to carry a private firearm up to ten years from the end of his regular service or up to ten years from the end of reserve service as defined in the IDF.

MDA volunteers will be excluded

An additional test update will enable MDA volunteers with at least one year's experience, who meet the threshold conditions, to also obtain a license to carry weapons without the need to meet an additional test.

The license gun bearers are breathing a sigh of relief, photo: Joshua Yosef

The reform that is being formulated will also update the threshold conditions for submitting an application for a license to carry a private firearm for soldiers who served as yeshiva members and for combat soldiers who were discharged before completing regular service due to injury, etc. These veterans will be able to apply for a license as long as they meet three cumulative conditions: they are over the age of 21, have served for a year as combatants in the IDF and live, study or work in an eligible locality.

Today, soldiers serving in combat units are not eligible to apply for a license to carry a private firearm, because they do not meet the definition of "end of military service as defined by law." The proposed change will allow soldiers who meet the criteria of "residence in an eligible locality" or "work or study in an eligible locality" to obtain a license to carry weapons.

Israel Hayom obtained the latest data on the carrying of weapons in Israel. These figures show that in the past four months, 11,393 new licenses were issued, a 280% jump compared to the same period in 2022, when only 4,054 new licenses were issued, and a 450% jump compared to the same period in 2021, when 2,049 new licenses were issued.

Ben-Gvir commented on the update, saying, "This necessary step saves lives and will make it possible to provide a response in real time and save lives."

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