“Freeze!”
Life is not a movie. Guns actually kill and accidents with guns really happens so please read this article before considering asking the Minister of Public Security for a permit to possess a gun. A permit to possess a gun is NOT a permit to actually USE that gun.
The Law:
In this article I will not be able to translate the different laws regarding the possession and caring of a firearm in Israel, but will provide you with links to the Hebrew text.
These many laws and regulations, include the purchase, the possession, the necessary care and storage, the renewal of a license, the compulsory training every few years and any other aspect of owning a firearm in the State of Israel and/or the territories today.
The State Policy:
Because of the eminent danger of the increasing number of accidents involving firearms, the State decided to decrease as much as possible the number of firearm licenses. Since 2008 the number has decreased from 250 k to around 150 k.
The State Comptroller and Ombudsman:
The last report regarding firearms shows a serious problem in many areas, especially in how the State enforces and controls the renewals of the 151,000 firearms licenses. Today more than 14,000 of these licenses have already expired, but according to the State, not enough has been done to punish those who didn’t renew their license and remedy the situation.
The use of a gun and the danger:
Using a gun, even for those who served in the military, is not an easy task and it demands not only total self-control but also a deep understanding of that very moment you have to make the decision of whether or not to use a gun. It could be extremely difficult to decide, but as we know in these situations one has no time for “considerations”. Often, all one has is a fraction of a second to make a decision that could save your life or destroy it.
Guns in Israel can be used (in addition to collectors) for: protecting your family in emergencies, personal safety and self-defense or preventing and deterring terrorist acts.
Remember: Guns will not save you in most cases of terrorism!
New immigrants and firearms:
New regulations from the Ministry of Public Security stipulate that only a person who can clearly master the Hebrew language (among many other requirements) will be given a license or will be allowed to renew an existing license.
Besides the “language barrier” you should consider what I will call: The “knowledge of the population barrier”. It’s hard these days even for an Israeli – a “sabra” – to be sure who is an Arab (and not every Arab is a terrorist) and who is not. And as we all know today, it could be confusing not only when hitchhiking but in many other situations.
Even the threat to pull a gun can be severely punishable if not done according to the law.
Ask yourself: Is it worth it?
If you think it is worth taking the chances such as:
- A wrongful use of a firearm (in a case you thought it is permitted to use but it is not)
- Losing a firearm (felony punishable with jail term)
- The constant harassment of the storage
- The accidental use of a gun by you or any other person (including a child)
- Being stopped everywhere to show your license or prevented to enter some places with a firearm, etc.
If your answer is YES, welcome to the club of the firearm holders in Israel.
Personally speaking:
I gave up on my own gun more than 10 years ago. Not because I don’t know how and when to use it, but because it became a pain in the neck more than a real necessity.
As a retired combatant major in the IDF with extensive experience, I am for a dramatic reduction of these firearm licenses. They have caused more harm, crimes and accidents than the lives they have saved in the last almost 4 decades I’ve been in Israel.
Links for regulations (The Ministry of Internal Security), in English:
History of Firearm Licensing in Israel
http://mops.gov.il/English/AboutUsEnglish/Firearm/Pages/History_Firearm.aspx
Firearm Safety Guidelines
http://mops.gov.il/English/AboutUsEnglish/Firearm/Pages/FirearmSafety.aspx
Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (UN Human Rights)
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/UseOfForceAndFirearms.aspx
Links for the laws and regulations, in Hebrew:
The State criteria for granting a firearm’s license
http://mops.gov.il/Fire_Arms/PersonalLicense/PersonalLicense/Pages/FirearmLicensingCriterion.aspx
The firearm regulations (qualification for registration and renewal)
http://www.nevo.co.il/law_html/Law01/188_010.htm
Police regulations for the police force – February 2014
https://www.police.gov.il/Doc/pkodotDoc/sug_2/060214_2.pdf
Fees regarding firearms, including fees for a license
http://mops.gov.il/Documents/Publications/Firearms/Fees/FAFees_2013.pdf
Firearm Law
http://www.nevo.co.il/law_html/Law01/188_001.htm
The Israeli Penal Code
http://www.nevo.co.il/law_html/Law01/073_002.htm
(clauses 105, 144, 193, 249, 255, 256, 274, 329, 335, 338, 339, 340, 345, 382, 402, 404, 410, 447 – Including the penalties for crimes committed with a firearm)
The State Comptroller and Ombudsman’s Report including firearms
http://www.mevaker.gov.il/he/publication/Articles/Pages/2014.5.14-64c.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
