Israel
New Law Allows Israeli Gun Owners to Inflict 'Immediate Death Sentence'
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
24 June 2008
A license to kill or a leg up for law enforcement -- the verdict may still be out, but the Knesset approved the "Shai Dromi Bill" on Tuesday, an amendment to the Penal Law aimed at giving property owners more freedom to use fatal force against people who break into their homes, businesses or farms. The legislation, named for the Negev farmer who in January 2007 shot at a group of people who broke into his farm to steal livestock,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, Palestine
Killer Shoots 8 in Jewish Seminary Before Armed Targets Can Respond
Reuters
7 March 2008
JERUSALEM -- A Palestinian gunman shot dead at least eight people at a Jewish religious school in Jerusalem, but Israel said the killings would not derail U.S.-sponsored peace talks. "It was a slaughterhouse," Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, head of the Zaka emergency service, said of the scene on Thursday night at the Merkaz Harav seminary, one of the city's most prominent Jewish educational centers. There was no immediate claim of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, Palestine
8 Killed in Shooting at Jerusalem Seminary Before Gunman Shot Dead
Los Angeles Times
6 March 2008
JERUSALEM -- A man concealing an automatic weapon in a cardboard box slipped into a Jewish seminary here and opened fire in the library Thursday night, killing at least eight people in Israel's worst terrorist attack in nearly two years. Jerusalem Police Chief Aharon Franco said the attack lasted more than 10 minutes before an Israeli army officer killed the assailant. Rescue workers said at least 10 people were wounded.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, Palestine
Palestinian Shooter Surprises Armed Israeli Student Soldiers, Shoots 8 Dead
Associated Press
6 March 2008
JERUSALEM, Israel -- A gunman entered the library of a rabbinical seminary and opened fire on a crowded nighttime study session Thursday, killing eight people and wounding nine before he was slain, police and rescue workers said. It was the first major militant attack in Jerusalem in more than four years. Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip praised the operation in a statement, and thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, Israel
Israeli Tavor-21 Assault Rifle Enters Service With Indian Special Forces
Defense Industry Daily
26 February 2007
In late 2002, India signed a Rs. 880 million (about $20 million) deal with Israel Military Industries for 3,070 TAR-21 Tavor assault rifles, a new bullpup design developed for use by the Israeli Defense Forces. The Israelis had just selected the compact Tavor over the Colt M4/M16 as its next-generation assault rifle, and the compact new weapons would be issued to India's special forces personnel, where its ergonomics, reliability in heat... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israeli Campaign Brings Unlicensed Gun Possession to a 10-Year Low
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
2 January 2007
The number of Israelis carrying guns without valid licenses hit a 10-year low in 2006, the Interior Ministry revealed on Tuesday. During the past year, the gun-licensing branch of the Interior Ministry worked to lower the number of Israelis carrying guns without valid licenses. Whereas in 2005 there were around 33,000 Israelis carrying guns without a valid license, there were only around 13,000 citizens doing the same in 2006. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Egypt, Israel, Palestine, United States
Egypt, Israel, US Approve and Ship 2,000 More Guns to Palestine's Fatah
Agence France Presse
28 December 2006
Egypt has sent a large quantity of arms to the forces of moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party with the help of Israel, an Israeli official said. "In coordination with Israel, Egypt delivered a large quantity of guns and munitions to the Abbas forces," the official told AFP, asking to remain anonymous. The Haaretz daily meanwhile reported that "a load of 2,000 Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles as well... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, Palestine
Gaza's Gun Running Tunnels May Be Biggest Threat to Middle East Peace
Associated Press
17 December 2006
RAFAH, Gaza Strip -- In houses along the steel wall separating Gaza and Egypt, the lights are flickering a sign that smugglers are digging tunnels below, their powerful drills weakening the flow of electricity. Tunneling is the fastest-growing business in this impoverished border town, and one of the biggest obstacles to any lasting Israeli-Palestinian truce. Since Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip a year ago, the number... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, Africa
UN Report Says Israel Supplying Arms to African Warring Factions
BBC Worldwide Monitoring, Transcript
6 December 2006
Israeli expertise in the sphere of arms exports and security know-how are famous worldwide -- but at a heavy image cost for the country. A new UN report, whose contents are being made public here for the first time, places indirect responsibility on Israeli arms dealers for acts of genocide committed in recent years in Africa. The report claims that the Israelis, in contravention of the UN Security Council's embargo resolutions,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israelis Arrested for Trafficking Guns and Ammunition to Palestinian Militants
Associated Press
12 November 2006
JERUSALEM -- Police busted a network of Israeli Arabs selling weapons and ammunition to Palestinian militants, a police spokesman said Sunday. Twelve men were arrested and charged with selling arms to militant cells in the West Bank, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Police also seized three assault rifles and 8,000 bullets, he said. Eight of the men have been charged with weapons trafficking, while four are still... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Human Rights Study: 4 Israeli Gun Makers in Top 100 Arms Producers
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
8 October 2006
LONDON -- There are four Israeli companies among the world's 100 leading arms manufacturers, according to a report published last week. The study, "Arms without Borders," was prepared by the Control Arms campaign in cooperation with Amnesty International, Oxfam International and the International Action Network on Small Arms. In a reference to Israel and other nations, the report says: "While the industrialized countries... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israeli Firms Join Top 100 Arms Dealers' List in Global Gun Trade Report
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
3 October 2006
Four Israeli companies appear in a list of the top 100 arms dealers in the world, according to a report published yesterday by Amnesty International. The companies are Israel Aircraft Industries, Rafael Arms Development Authority, Elbit Systems and Israel Military Industries. The report, entitled "Arms without Borders," was launched as the United Nations opened its annual session on arms control, in the run-up to a landmark vote... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, United States
Israeli Police Arrest Californian Man in Gun Running Case
Associated Press
21 June 2006
An American man was charged on Wednesday with trying to import weapons that police suspect he intended to use to attack Palestinians, a police spokesman said. The 39-year-old California resident was arrested June 11 at an Israeli port after claiming a shipping container that contained a snipers' rifle, a bullet-making machine, gunpowder and cartridges, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Police had no English spelling of the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israel Arrests 5 Over Theft of 40 Army Assault Rifles, Grenade Launchers
YNet News (Tel Aviv)
2 April 2006
IDF and police investigators working jointly have solved a case involving the theft of 40 weapons from an IDF base three months ago. During the investigation, an undercover agent purchased the weapons from the thieves, among them IDF soldiers who provided them with information on the weapons. Overall, five suspects were detained in connection with the case and some of the weapons have been recovered. Several weeks... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, Israel
Israeli Gun Maker's Troubles Delay Supply of Assault Rifles to India
Deccan Herald (New Delhi)
19 March 2006
Recurring technical and bureaucratic slippages have further delayed till the end of the year the supply of around 3,000 Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) 5.56-mm Tavor 21 assault rifles (TAR-21) with 40-mm under slung grenade launchers to India's Special Forces (SF) or para-commandos though almost four years have elapsed since the contract was signed. The $20-million deal for the TAR 21s including ammunition, was signed in late 2002... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
American Immigrant Smuggles M-16, Sniper Rifle Into Israel 'For Protection'
YNet News (Tel Aviv)
23 February 2006
A 32-year-old new immigrant from the U.S. was arrested on Wednesday for bringing arms into the country. On Thursday the Jerusalem Magistrates Court extended his remand by four days. The man, who immigrated to Israel in 2005 and eventually settled in Beit Shemesh, brought with him a large container with, among other things, an M-16 rifle, a sniper rifle, pistol, magazine clips, army equipment, commando knives, helmets, night... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, Palestine
Israeli Soldiers Shoot, Kill Mentally Disabled Teen Holding Plastic Toy Gun
Independent (UK)
15 February 2006
QABATIA -- A 15 year old mentally disabled Palestinian boy carrying a broken toy rifle was shot dead by Israeli troops during an arrest operation in the northern West Bank town of Qabatia, near Jenin, yesterday. A Palestinian security officer who saw the boy, Mujahed Al Samadi, struck by a bullet -- one of three residents said had been fired at him -- said last night that he had been on his own 300 metres from a house on higher... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israelis Crack Down on Private Guns, Shooters Lament Lack of an NRA
Jerusalem Post Magazine (Israel)
9 February 2006
Spent cases litter the floor of the indoor shooting range. The smell of gunpowder hangs in the air and mingles with the heavy odor of rubber, which covers the walls and ceiling to prevent ricochet. The heavy steel door shuts behind my instructor and me. A fresh target -- not a circle, but a red "x" -- has been hung seven meters away, on the opposite side of the room. The time has come to pick up the gun, a lightweight .22, and take... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
40 Assault Rifles, Grenade Launchers Stolen from Israeli Army Base
YNet News (Tel Aviv)
7 February 2006
Soldiers didn't see a thing: A total of 40 weapons were stolen from an IDF base about 10 days ago after thieves broke into the base overnight. The story was only cleared for publication Monday. The weapons stolen include eight grenade launchers and 32 assault rifles. At this time Military Police have no leads in the case and estimate the weapons have already been handed over to criminal or terror elements. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Palestine, Israel, Egypt
Booming Business in Gaza: Tunnelling for the Gunrunners
New York Times
24 January 2006
RAFAH, Gaza Strip -- Yasser Qishta, 25, shows a visitor into his near-finished house, a two-story cinderblock structure with a pristine, pastel interior, all new paint and gleaming ceramic tile. The house cost him $32,000, a fortune for a man of his age in the Gaza Strip's troubled economy. The house tells everyone in the neighborhood what he has been up to: burrowing beneath the border to help bring illegal arms into the Gaza Strip.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, United States, Iran, Israel, Egypt, China, Syria, India, Pakistan, Trinidad & Tobago
Traditional Foes Hold Up UN Progress on Small Arms
Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
22 January 2006
NEW YORK -- After two weeks of talking, governments have achieved virtually no outcome from a UN conference on controlling the proliferation and misuse of small arms. During this time, approximately 12,000 more people have died at gunpoint and many more have been injured, bereaved or denied access to livelihoods, healthcare and education because of armed violence. Usually at loggerheads on disarmament issues, the USA and Iran, Israel... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Sharp Rise in Number of Women Killed by Men With Licensed Guns
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
28 November 2005
Some 47 percent of women murdered by their partners or relatives in the past five years were killed by security guards, soldiers or police officers who carried licensed weapons, according to a report compiled by a team of Haifa University researchers studying the impact of the intifada on the lives of Jewish and Arab women. The data compiled by researchers on behalf of "Isha le Isha," a Haifa feminist center, indicates that between... ( gunpolicy.org )
Palestine, Israel
Palestinians Outlaw Weapons on the Streets
Associated Press
30 September 2005
JERUSALEM -- Palestinian authorities began enforcing a ban on public displays of weapons Thursday. Three people were arrested and the guns of off-duty police officers were confiscated. The crackdown was a key step toward imposing order in the chaotic Gaza Strip. Pressing forward with its military campaign, Israeli soldiers killed five Palestinian gunmen during raids in the West Bank. Israel launched the wave of airstrikes... ( gunpolicy.org )
Palestine, Israel
Gunrunners Smuggle Weapons Into Gaza
Associated Press
14 September 2005
RAFAH, Gaza Strip -- Palestinian gunrunners smuggled hundreds of assault rifles and pistols across the Egyptian frontier into Gaza, dealers and border officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The influx confirmed Israeli fears about giving up border control and could further destabilize Gaza. Black market prices for weapons dropped sharply, with AK-47 assault rifles nearly cut in half to $1,300 and even steeper reductions... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Troubled State Arms Maker IMI Finally Up for Sale
AKI (Italy)
29 August 2005
TEL AVIV -- After a decade of financial problems, which have required 2.2 billion dollars in recovery plans, Israel's state-owned weapon's manufacturer, Israeli Military Industries (IMI), is set to be privatised after a proposal by the country's finance and defence ministers -- Ehud Olmert and Shaul Mofaz -- was given the go-ahead. IMI is the main supplier of weapons to the Israeli military and produces airplanes, radar systems,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Quarter of a Million Israelis Own Firearms: Fewer Since 1996
YNet News (Tel Aviv)
28 August 2005
A quarter of a million Israeli citizens possess personal firearms, according to an Interior Ministry survey. The survey said that as of June 2005, 236,879 Israeli citizens had guns. At the same time, the survey pointed to a downwards trend in personal weapon possession. The study also found that a worrying number of guns were held without valid license, 34,000, due to a failure by owners to renew their licenses. A... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
AWOL Israeli Soldier/Settler Blamed for Mass Shooting in Bus
CNN
5 August 2005
JERUSALEM -- An Israeli soldier opened fire inside a bus in Israel's northern Galilee region Thursday, killing four Israeli Arabs and seriously wounding five other people before he was killed, according to Israeli police. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon condemned the attack, calling it "a reprehensible act of a bloodthirsty Jewish terrorist who sought to attack innocent Israeli citizens." "This terrorist event was a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Security Guards Lax With Guns: Government Study
YNet News (Tel Aviv)
3 August 2005
TEL AVIV -- Too many Israeli security guards are taking their weapons home with them, a move that could be dangerous and cause accidents, a government committee said on Wednesday. In addition, the guards are undertrained and under supervised, said the group, headed by retired police commander Danny Brinker. The committe is expected to present its findings to Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz and Internal Security Minister... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
New Gun Law Restrictions More Costly
Israel National News
26 July 2005
The Interior Ministry has suggested more costly regulations for citizens who are licensed to possess a handgun. The new regulations, which require the approval of the Knesset Finance Committee, address persons who fail to renew their permit every five years. Such violators would be slapped with a large fine that continues to increase each year. In addition to the license renewal every five years, there will now be an annual... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Snipers With Children in Their Sights: Army Kills Minors With Impunity
Guardian (UK), Opinion
28 June 2005
It was the shooting of Asma Mughayar that swept away any lingering doubts I had about how it is the Israeli army kills so many Palestinian children and civilians. Asma, 16, and her younger brother, Ahmad, were collecting laundry from the roof of their home in the south of the Gaza Strip in May last year when they were felled by an Israeli army sniper. Neither child was armed or threatening the soldier, who fired unseen through a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Bill Would Require Gun Owners' Oath of Loyalty to State
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
23 June 2005
Left-wing MK Ran Cohen (Yahad) made a move to curb possible violence by settlers on Wednesday by proposing a bill that would force them to take an oath of allegiance to the state as a condition for being supplied with IDF weapons for security. While presenting the bill for a preliminary reading, Cohen put the government on the spot and asked why it had decided to oppose the legislation. Cohen told Internal Security Minister Gideon... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, Egypt
Smuggling Guns Over the Egypt-Israel Border
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
3 June 2005
In the middle of the night, Israeli troops sneaked over the border fence amid the granite mountains, moving silently so the Egyptian guards would not hear. They somehow quietly lifted a mammoth cement border marker that weighs as much as those ancient stone relics at Stonehenge and moved it westward. Why? As part of the Zionist state's expansionist, underhanded effort to steal more Egyptian land. This may sound far-fetched and paranoid,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Army to Disarm Settlers Before Pullout
Associated Press
11 April 2005
JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military plans to disarm residents of four Jewish settlements in the West Bank two weeks before the communities are to be dismantled this summer, officials said Monday, reflecting growing concern that settler resistance in the West Bank will be far more difficult to put down than in the fenced-in Gaza Strip. Access for Israeli extremists already living in the West Bank to the four tiny northern settlements... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, Egypt
Border Guards Intercept Gun-Runners and 21 Kalashnikovs
Israel National News
2 February 2005
Border Guard and IDF units succeeded in preventing Arab terrorists from smuggling 21 Kalachnikov rifles over the Egypt-Israel border. The interception took place near Har Sagi. Border guard lookouts spotted four individuals attempting to sneak across the border carrying large sacks. When the IDF and Border Guard units gave chase with the help of an air force helicopter, the gun-runners abandoned their load and fled. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Boy With Toy Gun Shot By Israelis
BBC News
20 January 2005
Israeli soldiers have shot dead a Palestinian boy who was playing with a toy rifle, after apparently mistaking him for a gunman. Troops patrolling Tubas, a West Bank village near Jenin, fired at the boy, aged 13 or 14, after he aimed the toy weapon at them, witnesses said. He was with a group of children who were taunting the soldiers. An Israeli military source confirmed troops had opened fire on a crowd after... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
15-Year-Old Girl Found With Gun at Modi'in School
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
9 January 2005
A 15-year-old girl was caught at her Modi'in school Sunday with a 9mm pistol in her bag. Police detained the girl for questioning Sunday. The weapon is owned by her father. The girl claimed she brought the weapon into school to threaten a boy who harassed her and her friends. Officers discovered that the boy she wished to threaten would annoy and laugh at her and her friends. The girl was spotted holding... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, Ivory Coast
Halt to Ivory Coast Arms Exports
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
9 November 2004
The Director General of the Ministry of Defense has ordered the immediate cessation of arms deals to the Ivory Coast [Côte d'Ivoire]. Amos Yaron issued instructions Tuesday to suspend granting of all export licenses and negotiation for arms contracts with the beleaguered West African state. "This decision was made in light of the recent developments in this country and at the request of the French government. It will remain... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Armed Guards a Tragedy Waiting to Happen
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
31 October 2004
Whatever the specific background to the incident in which an armed school guard shot to death an air-conditioning technician in Bnei Brak last Thursday, it was a tragedy waiting to happen. And it is not the first of its kind. The stationing of guards outside public facilities in this country is indispensable. Many guards saved numerous lives by bodily blocking terrorists' entry to where they could commit mass murder. These guards... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Police Kick Off Firearms-Return Campaign
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
16 May 2004
Israel Police, in conjunction with the Interior Ministry, kicked off a firearms-return campaign Sunday. According to the plan, weapons held by the public without proper permits must be returned by the end of the year. In the first stage of the campaign, letters will be sent to some 32,000 citizens who hold firearms without a valid permit. At the end of the operation in October, criminal investigations will be launched into... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Tunnels Keep Gaza Terrorists Awash in Arms
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
16 May 2004
Tunnels under the Philadelphi Route that cuts through the Palestinian and Egyptian town of Rafah make up one of the greatest threats with which Israeli forces in the area have to contend. Many senior IDF officers have described them as "a subway running between the Palestinian side to Egypt." The tunnels, built by Palestinians to smuggle vast amounts of weapons, can reach up to hundreds of meters in length and are built from inside... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Police: Gun License Holders Should Carry Arms Over Pesach
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
4 April 2004
The police have beefed up their deployments for the Passover holiday, which started Monday night, as all the security services move to boost the already high state of alert. Aharonishki on Sunday ordered the police to remain at the level of vigilance that has been in place since the assassination of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin last month. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz warned at Sunday's cabinet meeting that, "Terror... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Uzi: From Mainstay to Relic
Baltimore Sun (Maryland)
7 March 2004
HAIFA, Israel -- The Uzi submachine gun, the weapon that became a trademark of Israel's firearms industry and a symbol of bravado on battlefields and movie screens, is becoming a relic within the institution that introduced the gun nearly a half-century ago: the Israeli army. Front-line soldiers abandoned the Uzi two decades ago for the American M-16. This year, the army's special forces stopped training with the Uzi and have turned... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Forces Say Goodbye to the Uzi
Telegraph (UK)
27 December 2003
The Uzi sub-machinegun, a symbol of Israeli national identity, has been withdrawn from service by the defence forces after half a century. Compact, simple and resistant to dust and sand, the 9mm Uzi in its machine-pistol form, was designed by a former resistance fighter, Uzi Gal. "It was a great moment for Israel," Lt Col Gal, who died in 2002 aged 79, once said, "... a weapon that the Jewish people had made for themselves,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Industry Optimistic US Will Lift Ban on Uzi Sales
Globes (Israel)
13 August 2003
Israel Military Industries sources say the company wants to bring in partners for its light arms factory. Dror Marom -- Sources inform "Globes" that Uzi manufacturer Israel Military Industries is optimistic that it will be able to resume sales in the US. Former President Bill Clinton signed a bill banning certain types of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, including the Uzi, blocking signed contracts worth millions of dollars.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Panama, Israel, Colombia
Israeli Businessman Arrested for Suspected Arms Dealings With FARC
Agence France Presse
22 November 2002
PANAMA CITY -- Panamanian authorities have detained an Israeli businessman, Simon Yelinek, who is suspected of arms dealings with Colombia, his lawyer said Friday. Yelinek was arrested Thursday night at Panama's Tocumen international airport, said the lawyer Sidney Sitton. He is under questioning for arms trafficking, one police official said. Yelinek is suspected of being linked to an arms deal uncovered last... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Month Long Amnesty Nets $1 Million in Weaponry
Associated Press
15 November 2002
JERUSALEM -- Two Katyusha rockets, 500 grenades, and 130 firearms were among $1 million worth of stolen army equipment returned during a monthlong amnesty period, Israeli army officials said Thursday. Other equipment included rocket-propelled grenades, shoulder-held antitank missiles, C-4 explosives, antitank grenades, heavy-caliber machine guns, tear-gas canisters, and more than 200,000 rounds of ammunition, the army said. Also... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israeli Engineer Whose Submachine Gun Conquered the Arms Market; Uziel Gal
Guardian (UK)
10 September 2002
The Israeli engineer Uziel Gal, who has died of cancer in the United States aged 78, was the inventor of the Uzi submachine gun, one of the most famous, lethal and notorious little weapons of the 20th century. With its distinctive snub barrel and folding shoulder stock, the Uzi became the largest-selling submachine gun in the western world; it is estimated that some 10m have been manufactured. Small, technically adept and potent,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Modest Inventor of Uzi Fired by Armies, Movie Stars and Street Gangs Dies at 79
Guardian (UK)
10 September 2002
The gun he invented could hardly have had a higher profile. It helped the Israeli army establish a fledgling nation, took a starring role in Hollywood action movies, and outraged campaigners against the scourge of firearms on the streets of inner-city America. But Uzi Gal, who has died at 79 in Philadelphia -- 48 years after he finished designing the submachine gun that bears his name -- was so little enamoured of a life on the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Getting Tough on Gun Licensing
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
9 August 2002
When Tal Bejerano, a 38-year-old computer engineer from Karmiel, opened his mail box a few weeks ago, he was in for a surprise: A warning letter from the Interior Ministry demanded that he renew his gun license. If he did not, Bejerano was warned, criminal proceedings would be instigated against him. Bejerano's gun -- an airgun he purchased from his pocket money at the age of 14 -- was left unused for many years, rusted and is no... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israel Arrests Spotlight Arms Sales
Associated Press
27 July 2002
JERUSALEM -- The arrests of 10 Israeli men on suspicion of selling 50,000 stolen bullets to Palestinian militants has put the spotlight on a long-running furtive trade that helped arm the Palestinians both before and during their current uprising. Despite the deep-rooted bitterness of the Mideast conflict, some Israelis, apparently motivated by the prospect of quick money, are funneling weapons and ammunition to the Palestinians... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
IDF major held in probe of Jewish settlers accused of selling arms to Palestinians
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
18 July 2002
Judea and Samaria police have arrested a reservist major in a widening probe of Israelis suspected of selling weapons to Palestinians. Particularly startling in the case is that two of the suspects come from Adora, a Judea community in which four people were killed in a terrorist infiltration in April. Maj. Ya'acov Uriel, the latest suspect arrested, whose hometown was not given, is suspected of stealing weapons from the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Britain Blocks Sale of Cartridges to Israeli Shooting Team
Telegraph (UK)
17 June 2002
Israel's national shooting team has become the latest victim of the turmoil in the Middle East after Britain blocked the sale of sporting ammunition despite assurances that the cartridges have no military use. The export ban has disrupted the Israeli squad's preparations for next month's world shooting championships in Finland. The Department of Trade and Industry refused to grant an export licence for 350,000 rounds of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Deaf Bus Passenger Accidentally Shot
Associated Press
26 May 2002
JERUSALEM -- An Israeli soldier on Sunday shot and wounded a deaf Israeli bus passenger that he suspected was a Palestinian suicide bomber, the second time in two days in which soldiers have wounded or killed people they mistakenly identified as militants. On Saturday evening, Israeli tanks fired shells and machine guns, killing a Palestinian woman and her 13-year-old daughter in a field in the Gaza Strip. Soldiers opened fire when... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Weapons Accompany Worship in Jerusalem
Newsday (New York)
29 April 2002
JERUSALEM -- The flier thumbtacked to the The Shtiblach Synagogue bulletin board looks like the others posted around it, advising the congregation of schedules and events. Its message, however, is striking: Worshippers who have firearms are requested to bring them to prayer services. Asaf Teboulle, 22, an Orthodox Jew, does just that. On the Sabbath, when prayer replaces work of every kind and even using a phone or a pen is prohibited,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Crisis in the Middle East: As Violence Spreads, Israelis Buying Guns
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
11 April 2002
TEL AVIV -- William Hazan likes to have a good time at the Seafood Market, a restaurant and club. Every Monday I go to the Seafood to drink, to dance, to be happy, the 46-year-old Moroccan-born Israeli said. But last month his fun was interrupted as gunfire shattered the club's windows. It's something terrorist, he said to himself. He led his wife and friends to the bathroom and told them to lie on the floor. Crawling back... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israelis Get Guns for Home
Palm Beach Post (Florida)
11 April 2002
TEL AVIV -- William Hazan likes to have a good time at the Seafood Market, a restaurant and club in Tel Aviv. Every Monday I go to the Seafood to drink, to dance, to be happy, the 46-year-old Moroccan-born Israeli said. But last month his fun was interrupted by gunfire shattering the club's windows. It's something terrorist, he said to himself. He led his wife and friends to the bathroom and told them to lie on the floor.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Heavy Demand for Handguns Leading to Weapons Shortage
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
26 March 2002
The deterioration in the security situation and the Interior Ministry's decision to ease the criteria for granting a permit for a personal weapon have led to a marked increase in the demand for guns among private citizens, security guard companies and private and public organizations. The heavy demand, however, is encountering two problems -- a weapons shortage and bureaucratic foot-dragging in granting permits. Due to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Gun Permit Wait Shortened for Settlers
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
22 March 2002
The Interior Ministry yesterday announced it is making it easier for Judea and Samaria residents and business owners to acquire firearms. The ministry said in light of the security situation, business owners will be able to receive gun permits immediately and new residents will only have to wait three months. Until now, only someone who has lived or worked in Judea and Samaria for at least six months was eligible to receive a firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Armed Worshippers to Guard Synagogues
Associated Press
19 March 2002
JERUSALEM -- Israel's rabbis have agreed to allow several worshippers to be armed in every synagogue during upcoming holidays, making an exception to Jewish laws because of fears of terror attacks, officials said Tuesday. The Religious Affairs ministry agreed to a request by security officials that four people in each synagogue be given weapons and cell phones. Orthodox Jews are banned from even touching such items on holidays and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Jittery Israelis apply for guns in record numbers
Reuters
13 March 2002
JERUSALEM -- Israelis jittery over a recent string of Palestinian bombings and shooting attacks are applying for gun licenses in record numbers, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said Wednesday. The spokeswoman said an unprecedented 1,500 gun applications were filed nationwide Tuesday, more than 200 times the average daily rate in 2000, the year a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation began. We have no recollection... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Fear is the Driving Force Behind the Minutiae of Daily Life
Guardian (UK)
11 March 2002
Israelis are rushing to buy weapons in the wake of the sudden surge in Palestinian attacks on Israeli cities and the government's decision last week to further loosen the country's already lax gun laws. There are 340,000 legal gun owners in a population of 6.3 million but Vered Schnittman, the manager of a gun shop in the central town of Petah Tikva, says her custom has now risen 10-fold, to 60 shoppers a day. Everybody... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israeli Teachers Take Lessons in Shooting
Times (UK)
8 March 2002
Pushing back her pink watchstrap and fawn jacket, the 25-year-old primary school teacher goes into a crouch and looses eight rounds at the dimly lit target. As the Israeli Government announced plans to issue 40,000 more gun licences to civilians, Elinor Shor's presence on a Jerusalem firing range is the clearest indication yet of the Israeli public's fear. No settler or gun fanatic, Ms Shor would never have considered acquiring... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Gun Demand Up 75 Percent
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
7 March 2002
JERUSALEM -- With the current escalation of terror, the Interior Ministry has been inundated with a 75 percent increase in requests for weapons permits over the last year, a figure that is expected to rise even further. According to figures released yesterday, the ministry received 7,790 request for permits last year, compared to 4,417 in 2000. About 60% of applications were accepted in both years. A total of 265,325 people... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israel OKs 60,000 More Gun Permits in Terror Fight
Washington Times
7 March 2002
JERUSALEM -- Sixty thousand additional gun permits are to be distributed to Israeli civilians as authorities loosen licensing restrictions to help fight a growing wave of terrorism. Armed civilians have played a significant role in bringing down terrorists during the Palestinian uprising, most recently during an attack this week by a Palestinian gunman at a Tel Aviv restaurant where a wedding party was under way. A 46-year-old... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
As Terror Mounts, So Do Gun Sales
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
6 March 2002
David Harel, the joint owner of Olam Haneshek, a firearms store in Tel Aviv, had a busy morning yesterday. Twenty customers came to Harel's shop looking for personal handguns. In the end, Harel, who has been in the gun business for 17 years, sold five pistols. Before the eruption of the Al-Aqsa intifada 18 months ago, he sold an average of five pistols a month. A pistol can cost anywhere from a few hundred shekels to NIS 5,000.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Alert Customer Shoots Terrorist in Efrat Supermarket
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
21 February 2002
An alert customer shot dead a terrorist who tried to set off an explosive device in a supermarket a few minutes ago in Efrat. The town is in Gush Etzion, a block of Jewish communities in Judea, south of Bethlehem. At least one small explosion did take place, leaving one customer lightly wounded but causing no casualties, said Jerusalem Post reporter Margot Dudkevitch. Nails from one of the explosions littered the floor. Further... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israeli Flies to New York With Pistol in His Carry-on Luggage
Reuters
29 January 2002
JERUSALEM -- The Israel Airports Authority said Monday that it was investigating a breach in security at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv in which a passenger flew to New York with a pistol packed in his hand luggage. The Israeli man realized he had been carrying the gun in his carry-on luggage when he arrived in New York over the weekend. He immediately informed Israeli officials of the security breach, an Israel... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Commission Considers Relaxing Handgun Permits
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
27 December 2001
JERUSALEM -- An Interior Ministry commission established to reexamine policy for issuing personal firearms permits intends to liberalize the criteria, ministry spokeswoman Tova Elian said yesterday. However, Elian said, once recommendations are submitted, they have to be approved by Interior Minister Eli Yishai, and face possible review by the High Court of Justice. Elian was reacting to media reports that the commission's... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israeli Homeland Security Tips
New York Post, Opinion
12 November 2001
We have all heard that we should be observant, and report strange events to the police. But one option has not been encouraged in the media, indeed, quite the opposite. News articles mention the jump in gun sales that have taken place since 9/11, but fail to mention the benefits and belittle those who buy the guns. We could learn something about responding to terrorism from Israel, and encourage more ordinary, responsible citizens... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Ze'evi Refused Guards on Principle, Carried Gun
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
18 October 2001
JERUSALEM -- Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi refused to accept protection from the security services as a matter of principle, his colleagues said yesterday. He believed that if there is a parent or a child who had to drive without defense in the territories, he also would be unprotected, his communications adviser Chagit Sachs said. According to MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) and other friends, Ze'evi still carried a pistol.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, Palestine
Guns for Sale - How Stolen Israeli Weapons Arm Fatah's Fighters
Guardian (UK)
16 December 2000
RAFAH Border, Gaza Strip -- Three shots ring out in the still of the afternoon, and three Palestinians run for cover. The Israeli army sniper on the 25 metre-high security tower watches the men below scatter and dive for gaps in the concrete wall. As Sergeant Dan Jacobi pulls the trigger, one Palestinian shoves a wooden crate into waiting hands on the Gaza side of the wall: one more lethal cargo slipping past Israeli troops, one... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Israeli Security Caught With Banned Gun Gear
Sydney Morning Herald
6 September 2000
Ten Israeli security guards have been caught trying to enter the Olympic Village with banned bulletproof vests and gun holsters. An Australian Customs Service official, who confiscated the equipment on Saturday, said the guards told police they brought it in the equipment because they hoped a ban on weapons at the Games might be lifted. This was despite repeated warnings from Olympic security commanders and the Federal... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Personal Firearms of Former Career Officers to Be Thrown Into Sea
Israeli Wire
30 July 2000
TEL AVIV -- Hundreds of former IDF career officers were forced to give up their personal firearms to the police in recent months, and these weapons, which were purchased privately, will be thrown into the sea, without their owners receiving compensation. Last December, an IDF order took effect, stating that any career officer, who purchased a personal weapon from January 1996 onward, must give it in to the police, beginning in 2000.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Strict Israeli Gun Control Laws Aim for Security Balance
CNN
17 September 1999
JERUSALEM -- If one looks at the streets of Israel, it sometimes appears to be a country awash in guns, with soldiers, police and settlers carrying Uzis. Paradoxically, Israel has incredibly strict gun control laws. Try to buy a handgun, and you'll face perhaps a 3-month waiting period, police, medical and psychological checks and hard-to-win approval from the Interior Ministry. Prospective gun owners must also pass a gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Gun Culture
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
27 May 1998
It is becoming an all too familiar picture on our television screens: A teenager in an American school gets frustrated as a result of a minor punishment. He goes home, takes his father's machine gun out of the closet, returns to school the next day and opens fire indiscriminately. And the response is also all too familiar. It always takes place in a small, peaceful, quiet town, the sort of place where violence is never expected,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
IMI Cancels US Civilian Uzi Production to Keep Military Market
Israel's Business Arena
26 April 1998
Israel Military Industries (IMI) has decided to cancel production of Uzi rifles in the US in the factories of its partner Mossberg, so as not to put at risk future large arms deals with the US military, IMI and military sources told "Globes" today. IMI looked into transferring production to Florida or Connecticut, to circumvent the ban imposed by US President Bill Clinton on the importing of the rifles into the US. However, IMI... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
IMI GM: US Ban on Uzi Imports - Excellent Publicity Campaign
Israel's Business Arena
9 April 1998
Following this week's decision by US President Bill Clinton to permanently extend the ban on Uzi imports into the US, Israel Military Industries received an order for 5,000 of the rifles. The order was placed by US arms distributors, and most of the rifles will be supplied to private customers. IMI light weapons division manager Arik Shor told "Globes" that the rifles would be manufactured from now on in the US, in one of two plants... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
TAAS May Produce Uzis in US to Circumvent New Gun Law
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
8 April 1998
TEL AVIV -- TAAS-Israel Industries, banned from exporting a semiautomatic version of the Uzi submachine gun into the US, is now exploring the prospect of producing the weapon through an American company. TAAS executives said production of the Uzi in the US would circumvent the executive order issued by US President Bill Clinton on Monday that permanently barred the import of 58 assault weapons that were modified for sport shooting.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel
Government to Seek Family-Violence Policy
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
5 January 1998
JERUSALEM -- The cabinet yesterday accepted a proposal by Communications Minister Limor Livnat to establish an interministerial team, in cooperation with the Knesset Committee on the Advancement of the Status of Women, to examine how to increase cooperation among the various organizations dealing with family violence involving weapons. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called the recent spousal murders "a spreading plague; we must... ( gunpolicy.org )
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