Overview
- The order shifts eligibility from neighborhoods near the separation wall to 41 areas across western and central Jerusalem.
- Reports put more than 300,000 additional Jewish residents within reach of a permit based solely on residence.
- Ben-Gvir urged applications, saying "a weapon in the right hands saves lives" and presenting the move as protection during Ramadan and the Iran war.
- Oversight concerns persist, with authorities telling a court they ordered 195 license-holders to return weapons over irregularities and NGOs citing near-universal test pass rates after eased procedures and more than 330,000 licensed civilians.
- Rights groups also cite public-safety risks, including 53 women killed by family members since October 2023, and note that Palestinian residents are not covered.