Israelis Demand Loosening of Gun Laws Amid Hamas War

Israeli citizens are urging the government to loosen the country's restrictive gun laws in the harrowing aftermath of Hamas' terror attack that massacred more than 1,200 Israelis and ignited a war in the region.

As Israel prepares for a ground invasion of Gaza, residents are signing petitions pressuring the government to allow them to bear personal arms, according to the Times of Israel.

Firearm licensing in Israel has long been a contentious issue, with activists arguing that restrictions are excessively stringent for civilians.

However, the recent events and traumatic images of Hamas terrorists brutally murdering Israeli civilians in their homes have prompted a call to immediately ease restrictions.

Rabbi Raz Blizovsky, 32, of Katzrin expressed his frustration, questioning why someone in Tel Aviv cannot legally obtain a pistol while someone in the Golan can.

Blizovsky, who has been involved in groups advocating for looser gun laws for years, initiated several messaging groups supporting the cause in the wake of the recent attack.

An online petition he created received 8,000 signatures within 24 hours, while a separate petition calling for permits to carry private weapons for IDF veterans attracted close to 22,000 digital signatures in three days.

Blizovsky believes that if more Israeli civilians had firearms, the atrocities committed by Hamas could have been minimized.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a proponent of gun law reform, announced a plan to expedite gun permits and ease certain restrictions.

Under the plan, applicants meeting the criteria and without criminal or medical records will have a phone interview instead of a physical one, allowing for faster approval and a potential firearm permit within a week.

Ben-Gvir also stated that citizens who previously had a conditional permit to buy a firearm can now purchase one without the need to submit another application.

Additionally, those who returned their guns to the government in the last six months for failing to renew their training can retrieve their weapons.

The plan has received criticism from some who deem it 'too little too late.'

Currently, only around 2% of the Israeli population owns guns, in stark contrast to the approximately 30% gun ownership in the United States.

This push for looser gun laws comes after a similar move earlier this year in response to a shooting in East Jerusalem that claimed seven lives.

Despite the debates and varying opinions, the demand for personal protection in the face of escalating violence remains a pressing concern for many Israelis.