The Interior Ministry has decided to relax the guidelines for those eligible to receive guns, in light of the worsening security situation. Deputy Interior Minister David Azulai explained to Arutz-7 today,
\"The police keep saying, and justifiably so, that they don\'t have the resources to protect everyone everywhere, so therefore we have decided to enlarge the number of those eligible to receive guns. But we will do this carefully. For one thing, until now IDF officers of the rank of Maj.-Gen. and up were allowed to receive guns; we will now allow Captains and up to receive guns. In addition, as of now, those who live or work in Yesha are eligible to receive, but in light of the circumstances, we would like to add the seam-line [the pre-1967 ceasefire line] communities, and the Golan, and other places. A committee is working to prepare the exact list, and we expect it to complete its recommendations by early January.\"
Azulai also said close to 40,000 people currently have guns without licenses, \"for technical or other reasons. We would like to help those who are eligible to get licenses.\"
Sha\'ul Derby, deputy chairman of the Israel Arms Merchants Association, admitted to Arutz-7 today that he had an interest in the implementation of the new regulations, but \"it is also in the public\'s interest. Take the attack in Jerusalem today, for instance. Lives were probably saved because someone on the scene had a gun... It is unbelievable, but the policy today is that drivers of public buses are not eligible for a gun; taxi drivers are eligible, and so are those who work or live in Yesha.\" When asked how he counters the claim that more guns mean a higher likelihood of shooting deaths in domestic disputes, Derby said, \"Statistics show that \'cold\' weapons, such as knives, are used in the vast majority of the family dispute murders, such as the case in Holon today. As far as criminals, they don\'t need our help to find guns...\"
\"The police keep saying, and justifiably so, that they don\'t have the resources to protect everyone everywhere, so therefore we have decided to enlarge the number of those eligible to receive guns. But we will do this carefully. For one thing, until now IDF officers of the rank of Maj.-Gen. and up were allowed to receive guns; we will now allow Captains and up to receive guns. In addition, as of now, those who live or work in Yesha are eligible to receive, but in light of the circumstances, we would like to add the seam-line [the pre-1967 ceasefire line] communities, and the Golan, and other places. A committee is working to prepare the exact list, and we expect it to complete its recommendations by early January.\"
Azulai also said close to 40,000 people currently have guns without licenses, \"for technical or other reasons. We would like to help those who are eligible to get licenses.\"
Sha\'ul Derby, deputy chairman of the Israel Arms Merchants Association, admitted to Arutz-7 today that he had an interest in the implementation of the new regulations, but \"it is also in the public\'s interest. Take the attack in Jerusalem today, for instance. Lives were probably saved because someone on the scene had a gun... It is unbelievable, but the policy today is that drivers of public buses are not eligible for a gun; taxi drivers are eligible, and so are those who work or live in Yesha.\" When asked how he counters the claim that more guns mean a higher likelihood of shooting deaths in domestic disputes, Derby said, \"Statistics show that \'cold\' weapons, such as knives, are used in the vast majority of the family dispute murders, such as the case in Holon today. As far as criminals, they don\'t need our help to find guns...\"