Data from the "Gun on the Table Coalition" indicates that 566 gun license holders were identified by the police and the Ministry of Health as endangering themselves and their surroundings, as was published this morning (Tuesday) by Kan Reshet Bet.
The data was received as part of a freedom and information request and in light of the Ministry of National Security's intention to promote further facilitations in the granting of weapons licenses.
The Ministry of National Security claimed that the Ministry of Welfare does not transfer data to the Firearms Division regarding firearms license holders who may endanger themselves or others. The data, collected in July, also reveals that the number of weapons that were held without a valid license and were not deposited with the police is 677, and also includes people who have died.
As for incidents of negligence, suicide and illegal shooting with organizational weapons - in 2022 the number of incidents was 32. There was a decrease in the number of suicides by organizational weapons, from 12 cases in 2021 to four last year. The data refers to corporate gun owners and not to private gun owners.
In Israel there are about 150,000 private firearms carriers, which the Firearms Division does not supervise. The number of private gun owners increased by about 3,000 between 2021-2022.
The data shows that between the years 2019-2022, the number of women who were shot to death increased twice, as nine of them were murdered with a licensed weapon.
In July of this year, Israel had about 23,000 weapons licenses for security guards. One of the moves promoted by the Ministry of National Security is to enshrine in law orders that allow security guards to carry weapons outside of working hours.
In 2008, against the backdrop of an increase in incidents of organizational weapons shooting, it was determined that security guards would not carry weapons, but in recent years the ministers have signed orders allowing this.