Israel and Guns

I know there’s a perception that in Israel, by golly, practically everyone has guns and that makes for great security.  They may have an effective military.  I don’t know.  When was the last time it was really tested?

From our friend in Israel, we get a more accurate picture of how the government treats private gun ownership there;

Friends:

Something new has been inserted into the firearms regulations here.

When your rifle (includes all .22 caliber rifles, even Olympic small bore .22s and air-guns) license comes up for renewal, if you are not an active member of the new Israeli Rifleman Association– a new branch of the Israeli Shooting Federation arisen out of the ashes of the Civil Guard Sharpshooters Association in 2009 – you must turn your rifle into the police or get a licensed firearms dealer to carry it on his “books” for you or sell it. 

1. Since no one can obtain a rifle license, you can’t find anyone entitled to buy your rifle. 

2. I know of almost no gun dealer who wants the headache, even for a fee, of having to deal with the Ministry of Interior inspectors about having “your” gun on his book.  Even though it is “kosher.”

3. Turning your rifle(s) into the police, because your license to possess (even exclusively in your home) your private and valuable property is not renewed because of an administrative decision not to renew it, is confiscation.

And they will send the anti-terror unit of the Border Police to knockdown your door and destroy your home in the process of taking your rifle and you will be arrested and carted away – the TV cameras will be rolling and the newspaper photographers will be snapping photos of the event – you can be sure that the police will invite the media.

If you are a member of the new Rifleman Association you must be “active.”  The Ministry of Interior regulations define active as you participating in a minimum of 5 national competitions per year.

GOD BLESS THE SECOND AMMENDMENT and the entire Bill Of Rights!  Things Israel lacks.

Enjoy the Shot Show.

Howard

This resembles the UK more than it does our popular ideas of what Israel is supposed to be.

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4 thoughts on “Israel and Guns

  1. Is any of this in any way verified? Sounds like another internet chain email. I looked for about 20 minutes and couldn’t find anything in the english language Israeli press, my wife is over there right now for 14 days, so if I get a chance I’ll ask her to ask someone about this.

  2. Howard Linett lives there too. He is an IDF veteran and a sniper instructor. He works as a Sergeant-Major in the Israeli Police Civil Guard. He is also a journalist and counter terrorism advisor who speaks internationally and has written several books on security issues. His website is here.

    If he says it’s true I will believe it until proven otherwise. You might could call the Israeli embassy and ask them to check out the gun laws for you, but understand that some of these developments are very recent, hence the letter from Howard, and they aren’t necessarily going to be generally known unless one is in the habit of following what some (of the less informed) would consider to be esoteric legal issues.

    I bring to your attention that it’s common, to the point of being what I call the default mentality, here in America that people don’t know much of anything about our own gun laws.

    It’s also a bit of the problem that there is a natural skepticism with regard to repression in general. That much needs to change. The natural assumption, given the historical record, should be that repression is the norm in the world– that skepticism should be directed more toward the institutions of political power. Given what Israel has done with regard to Gaza and its security in general over the last several years, I find Howard’s story to be right in keeping.

  3. Nothing to see here, move along please.

    In 1978 it was damn near impossible to get a permit for a personal handgun. You couldn’t hold more than 50 rounds (might have been 100, twas a long time ago) for it either. Personal experience that is. I doubt it has gotten any better since then.

    I always have a good laugh at those whi think Israel is a good model. All the guns are owned by the government and politcally they are closer to the French than anyone on everything except defense.

    Most people have utterly no clue. They probably know as much factual information about the Kung people of the Kalahari as they do about Israel but they pontificate about it anyway as some gun owners paradise.

    Earl

  4. Lyle,

    Thanks for the background on who wrote the letter to you – you didn’t/don’t have any links to who the author was when you posted this, so it looked to me like another chain letter (like the ammo registration, guns on taxes, etc). I read this blog pretty often, and think both you and Joe know what you’re talking about (a lot more than I do!), but as the man says, “trust, but verify.”

    Cheers!

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