Gun laws..in Israel?!

[TheArchDuke]

What are the gun laws like in Israel? I know they have compulsory military service and the soldiers keep their weapons at home and even carry them in public as long as they are unloaded. But what about Americans coming in to the country and carrying a gun around for protection?

I ask this because I have a feeling I'll be in Israel a lot over the course of my life. My future wife is pursuing a career in Biblical archeology and I'd like to accompany her over there whenever she goes. Compounding my worries is the fact that arab countries don't really appreciate it when archeologists search for things found in the Bible...they're afraid that it will validate Israel's claim in the region.

 

[Delta608]

Here ya go :


The Israel Dept. of the Interior makes notification to the generalpublic the requirements necessary for the obtaining of a permit to possess a firearm:

1. Applicant must be a permanent resident of Israel for 3 consecutive years prior to making application for a firearms permit.

2. Applicant years of age.

3. The permit request must be for personal use, not to engage in the business of firearms sales.

4. Applicant must fall into one of the following categories:

a. Part-time reservist (volunteer) for 3 years- may own 1 handgun
b. Such a reservist (volunteer) is a member of a gun club- may own 1rifle
c. Professional, licensed public transportation driver, transportinga minimum of 5 passengers- may own 1 handgun
d. Licensed animal control officer- may own 2 hunting rifles, *not*full automatic weapons, or semi-automatic weapons with a limitedcapacity magazine.
e. Full-time dealer of jewelry or large sums of cash or valuables-may own 1 handgun

West Bank and Gaza Strip Settlers:

1. A resident in a militarily strategic buffer zone, essential to thesecurity of the State of Israel- may own 1 handgun

2. A business owner in these geographic areas- may own 1 handgun

Veterans:

1. Veterans of the Regular Army honorably discharged with the rank ofnoncommissioned officer, and veterans of the Reserve Army with the rankof regimental commander- may own 1 handgun

2. Retired law enforcement officers with the rank of sergeant- may own 1handgun

3. Retired prison guards with the rank of squadron commander- may own 1handgun

Individuals:

Upon presenting documentation that one is about to receive a souvenir, aprize, an inheritance, or an award of appreciation from the Israelmilitary.

 

[TheArchDuke]

So the answer is "no" then.

 

[nwilliams]

I wouldn't worry too much about it, Americans travel to Isreal all the time and don't need to carry guns. The military also gaurds biblical sites very well and people who work at them. Despite certain areas of Isreal a lot of the country is relatively safe and well gaurded, there are definitely more dangerous countries where she could be doing archeology.

I do a lot of international travel and as much as I'd love to be armed where I go its often impossible, impractical or just too much trouble to make it worth it.

I'd be more worried about rocket attacks and terrorist bombs than anything else, stuff that you can't defend against even if you are armed.

 

[Delta608]

So the answer is "no" then

Depends....You can join the reserves, but enough spoon feeding !!

 

[Liberal Gun Nut]

My understanding is that it's not terribly difficult for someone who has served in the IDF (Israel Defense Force) to get a permit to carry, but it's nearly impossible otherwise.

Israeli gun laws are quite restrictive.

 

[Limeyfellow]

Compounding my worries is the fact that arab countries don't really appreciate it when archeologists search for things found in the Bible...they're afraid that it will validate Israel's claim in the region.

Its not really the Arabs you have to watch out for, its the Israeli Antiquities Authority. They will crack down on you like a tonne of bricks but thats mainly due to the substantial amount of graverobbing that goes on. Don't think there is a tomb left over there that hasn't been raided, though I only been involved in one dig over there. The IAA really don't like anyone and the permits to do work legally there take longer to full out than the actual dig and its can take years to get approval to dig in an area since they will check it out first. Then everything you do find has to go through their experts and has this complex labeling system.

I thought the american dig I was on was slow paced until I went there. Oh and most important don't sharpen the edge of the digging trowel. American archaeologists and students always seem to do that for some reasons, or at least the 50 or so I worked with in the past.

 

[Helmetcase]

My impression was that pretty much every Israeli citizen can get the permit.

http://www.handguncontrol.net/Gunlaws around the world.htm

Yeah, there's the military component, but every Israeli adult is going to have had that experience as it's compulsory. I read somewhere that 10% of adults have the permit; that's like having 30mil carry permits issued in the US!

 

[Liberal Gun Nut]

Right, service is mandatory in most cases. I don't know what the % serving is, but I would guess 90% or more. But for that small percent that didn't serve for whatever reason, I think a carry permit would be nearly impossible. For a visitor to Israel, a carry permit would also be nearly impossible, I believe.

 

[AF_INT1N0]

I wouldn't much matter the folks that don't serve in Israel are either conscientious objectors or in some way incapable of serving. For the most part it would be the exception rather than the rule. (I wish the country I live in was as easy as Israel to get a carry permit in.)

 

[DrewH]

It is my understanding all gun permits are carry permits, they don't have the distinctions like we do here. So if ten percent have gun permits, that would probably be less than the U.S. Also note only one handgun per person, and the only NCOs who served in the army can carry (and regimental commanders in the Reseve Army, not sure what that means, I though everyone was in the reserves). No doubt a lot of NCOs out there but also more privates who did their stint in the IDF.

So in short, plenty of people have guns, but hardly everyone, and its is a fairly restrictive posture overall. The permit requires some non-trivial training and fees as well. Doesn't sound like a visitor (three years residency) or even recent immigrant can get one, either.

IIRC correctly the laws were tightened after the assassination of Rabin.

Not a U.S. style gun-owners paradise by any means.

 

[thorn726]

got to love that Israel has laws on gun ownership in areas that belong to Palestine.
otherwise seems like in general, considering EVERYOne serves, females too, it isn't all that hard to get one gun, BUT that logic bugs me.

ONE GUN? doesnt ever seem like enough for an emergency, seems like people should be able to have a back up at the very least

 

[cbsbyte]

I read an article not too long ago, written by a American born women who served in the Israeli military in the 1990s. In truth only a small % of Israeli born women actually serve in the military. The main reason is Israeli custom is women are useally engaged to be married by there late teens or early twenties. If they born in Israel and are applying to a University to not have to serve. Also if one is Orthodox Jew they don't have to serve. Also some parents object to the daughters service, and have her attend school overseas. The majority of women who do serve are new immigriants, from Europe and North America who are not married, and their are obligated to serve before they apply for citizenship.

 

[30 cal slob]

only one gun?

man, that sucks.

 

[DrewH]

Only NCOs are given gun permits, per above. The mass of conscripts would be privates.

EDIT: Read that again. "part-time reservists" could include most men, including privates, and the NCO restriction applies to long term regulars, who would mostly be NCOs and above I would think. Which still suggests you lose your permit when your reserve service ends. Any Isrealis who can comment?

 

[Autolycus]

Here is some information:

http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread...threadid=679286

The poster named Lior is an Israeli man who would know the gun laws well.

 

[bigun15]

West Bank and Gaza Strip Settlers:

1. A resident in a militarily strategic buffer zone, essential to thesecurity of the State of Israel- may own 1 handgun

Wouldn't it be wiser to give these people rifles? If you're on the border and enemy troops are coming in you'd want them to make a shot from a decent distance I'd think. Maybe that's just me.