DaysofPal – Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has announced a major expansion of personal firearm licensing in Jerusalem, a move that would allow more than 300,000 additional Israelis to apply for gun permits.
In a post on X, Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, said the decision adds 41 new neighborhoods and 1,600 streets in Jerusalem to the list of areas whose residents are eligible to request personal firearm licenses. The expansion makes more than 300,000 additional residents in the city eligible to submit applications for weapons permits.
Ben-Gvir stated that the measure forms part of the continued expansion of firearm licensing reforms introduced since he assumed office in late 2022. He argued that wider civilian gun ownership strengthens “personal security” and increases the ability of residents to respond to criminal or militant attacks.
The minister said that since the policy to reduce licensing requirements was introduced, over 240,000 Israelis have already been granted personal gun permits. He described the figure as unprecedented and encouraged residents of Jerusalem to apply for permits under the expanded eligibility rules.
The far-right minister did not specify the exact neighborhoods covered by the latest decision. However, his office previously announced in September 2025 that additional Israeli cities and settlements had been added to the eligibility list. These included Kiryat Gat and Kiryat Malakhi in southern Israel, Gan Yavne in central Israel, and Megiddo and Tel Mond in the north.
Israeli data indicates that more than 240,000 Israeli settlers live in occupied East Jerusalem, in addition to over 700,000 settlers across the occupied West Bank.
Officials from the Jerusalem Governorate condemned the announcement, describing the expansion of gun licensing in the city as “racist incitement and an extremely dangerous step.”
In a statement, the governorate warned that the policy would open the door to further crimes against Palestinian residents in an environment already marked by escalating settler attacks.
The statement also accused Israeli authorities of promoting open and official incitement to violence, arguing that the decision effectively grants extremist settlers the freedom to take the law into their own hands in line with an ideology rooted in hatred and racism toward Palestinians.
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