Israel will speed up applications for owning a gun in response to a shooting outside a synagogue on Jerusalem’s outskirts that claimed the lives of seven people on Friday.
The government’s Security Cabinet announced such measures on Saturday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to “strengthen” Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
“Firearm licensing will be expedited and expanded in order to enable thousands of additional citizens to carry weapons,” read a statement on Netanyahu’s official Facebook page.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told reporters over the weekend: “When civilians have guns, they can defend themselves.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on as he convenes a weekly cabinet meeting amid a surge of violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank, at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, on Jan. 29, 2023. (Ronen Zvulun/Pool via Reuters)
Seven people were killed, and 10 were injured in the attack, Israel’s foreign ministry said….