From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
High Court adopts position that Ben Gvir’s ministry unlawfully issued gun permits, tells state to respond
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The High Court of Justice adopts the position of petitioners that the National Security Ministry under Itamar Ben Gvir issued firearms permits without authority, as the justices order the government to file its position to the court on whether the unlawfully issued permits can be suspended.
After the court says the licenses were issued “seemingly without authority,” the Movement for Quality Government watchdog group welcomes the decision, stating that it “hopes that the state will suspend the weapons licenses that were distributed without authority.”
A final ruling is expected at some point after the state submits its response.
Responding to the decision, Ben Gvir slams the court which “is now considering canceling thousands of lawfully issued weapons licenses and even interfering with the ministry’s procedures.”
“It has been proven that weapons save lives, it has been proven that thanks to the weapons, many lives of citizens have been saved,” he claims, adding that the decision means that “185,000 citizens who received a weapon or conditional approval are now concerned that the court will revoke their licenses and prevent them from protecting themselves and their families.”
Requests for gun permits surged following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. In the wake of the attack, the National Security Ministry granted temporary authority to approve gun license applications to Ben Gvir’s personal staff appointees, Knesset employees and others.
The Haaretz daily reported last December that thousands of licenses were granted illegally, and that Ben Gvir intervened personally to help Jonathan Pollard, who served decades in US prison after spying for Israel, overcome police and court objections to his obtaining a gun license.
Ben Gvir, who has previously been convicted for incitement to racism and supporting a terror organization, has himself threatened people with his own personal handgun on more than one occasion.
Last November, the United States reportedly delayed a shipment of 4,500 M-16 rifles due to concerns that Ben Gvir would use them to arm settlers in the West Bank and that he was inappropriately distributing the weapons at political events.
Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.
