The wave of terror has made Israelis seek better self-defense and the number of civilians applying for firearm permits has reached an all-time high this week, sources in the Public Security Ministry, which enforces gun-control regulations, said.
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Last week, the Firearms Licensing Division in the ministry saw a staggering 700% spike in applications in the span of 24 hours, but that record was also broken shortly after the police urged the public to volunteer to the civil guard.
The latter currently has 23,787 volunteers, 734 of them have joined over the past three months.
A spike in the number of Israelis seeking firearms permits is often seen in the wake of terrorist attacks, but March has set a record of 6,625 firearm permit applications, ministry data shows.
Last May, at the height the Operation Guardian of the Walls last May, the Firearms Licensing Division received 6,525.
A senior Public Security Ministry official told Israel Hayom that "the increase in demand is unusual on a historic scale." Applicants include members of Israel's ultra-Orthodox, Muslim, and Arab sectors, he said.
Another ministry official said the number of gun permit applications indicates "an ongoing trend of an unprecedented scale."
The Israel Police urged civilians carrying weapons to act responsibly as consequences for negligent use could be dire.
Police Operations Department Commander Sigal Bar-Zvi said that given the current security situation, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's call to civilians to carry weapons if licensed "can save lives."
She stressed that "the use of firearms must be done according to the law, with a license and proper training. If you carry a weapon you have to assume responsibility for it."
Unlike the United States, Israel does not offer its citizens any "right to bear arms" within its framework of basic laws. In fact – and contrary to common misconception – the Jewish state has some of the strictest gun-control laws in the world.
As of January 2022, only 149,000 Israeli civilians are licensed to carry a firearm.
Moreover, unlike in the US, where guns are readily available for purchase, even Israelis who have completed their military service cannot apply for a license before the age of 20. Those who did not serve in the IDF, for whatever reason, have to wait until they're 27 to seek a firearm license.
All applicants are required to meet a long list of criteria and the type of firearm and number of bullets that a licensed firearm holder is permitted to purchase is limited.
Each type of firearm requires a separate license and assault rifles are off-limits – the most a civilian can apply for is a pistol.
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