Ben Gvir bars Jewish anti-Zionist movement from carrying guns

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has excluded the anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox community Neturei Karta from a gun licensing expansion in Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem, according to Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom. The exclusion targeted specific streets where Neturei Karta members reside, while most other residents became eligible for firearms under Ben Gvir's expanded licensing scheme. Ben Gvir characterized the group as "extremists" and "enemies" due to their advocacy for Palestinian causes and connections to the PLO.

Since Ben Gvir took office, approximately 300,000 Israeli citizens have been granted gun licenses, and residents of over 200 communities are now eligible to obtain firearms following October 2023 regulations that significantly loosened acquisition requirements. The minister has vowed to continue expanding the scheme to additional cities and neighborhoods.