Application for firearms licenses skyrocketing in Israel

The number of Israelis who have applied for gun permits since March has increased sharply in a manner that a Public Security Ministry official said was “unprecedented.”

According to Israel Hayom, the number of Israelis who have applied for firearms licenses over the past six weeks has reached 18,450.

This, according to the Public Security Ministry, exceeds the annual average.

Data reported by the newspaper stated that 2,356 Israelis have applied to carry permits over the past week. “This is unprecedented,” a Public Security Ministry official said.

“This is a high and unusual figure compared to similar periods in recent years, which were characterised by zero applications.”

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The increase in applications has prompted the ministry to increase personnel to deal with the issue, the Israeli daily said, pointing out that 65 per cent of all license applications are granted, and 35 per cent are either denied or pulled by the applicants.

Data released by the Public Security Ministry in January, the Times of Israel said, found that applications for gun licenses rose sharply following Israeli offensive on Gaza in May 2021.

According to the paper, between May and the beginning of 2022, some 15,849 applications were submitted.

Overall, some 19,375 applications were submitted throughout 2021, compared to a yearly average of 9,600 applications in recent years.