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Akbar Novruz

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Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has ordered the exclusion of the anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox Jewish community Neturei Karta from an expanded civilian gun-licensing scheme in Beit Shemesh, Israel Hayom reported Monday.

The far-right minister has extended his firearms reform to Beit Shemesh, a city near Jerusalem with a large ultra-Orthodox population, allowing more residents to qualify for personal firearm licences.

Under the expanded criteria, eligibility is largely determined by applicants’ residential addresses. However, Israel Hayom reported that Israeli police and Ben Gvir’s office excluded streets where members of Neturei Karta reside from the areas covered by the new licensing rules.

As a result, while most residents of Beit Shemesh can now potentially qualify for a firearm licence, members of the anti-Zionist community living in the designated streets are excluded.

“I am proud to continue the weapons reform and expand it to Beit Shemesh as well,” Ben Gvir said, adding that residents who “love the State of Israel” have a basic right to defend themselves and their families.

Israel significantly relaxed civilian gun-ownership requirements in October 2023. According to Israel Hayom, around 300,000 Israeli citizens have received gun licences since Ben Gvir took office, while residents of more than 200 communities, towns and cities are now eligible to apply.

The number of communities eligible for firearm licences increased by 126 in 2026 alone, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Neturei Karta is a small ultra-Orthodox movement that rejects Zionism and opposes the establishment of a Jewish state before the arrival of the Messiah, placing it at odds with the Israeli government's ideological framework.