Controversial Israeli official says his country can learn from America's gun laws

Israel’s arguable National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir precocious visited the U.S., wherever helium met with Jewish groups, instrumentality enforcement officials and politicians, arsenic good arsenic facing respective clashes with protesters.

The shouting critics, however, did not look to fuss Ben-Gvir, who was a right-wing activistic successful his youth.

Ben-Gvir spoke with Fox News Digital astir his U.S. visit, highlighting his trips to Mar-a-Lago, Yale and New York. He noted that helium felt a displacement successful Israel-U.S. relations since President Donald Trump's instrumentality to the White House.

"Under Biden’s administration, I was considered persona non grata. Under Trump, I was welcomed astatine Mar-a-Lago and was capable to speak," Ben-Gvir told Fox News Digital. He added that having "an American president who supports america and stands down america makes a difference" successful wartime.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrives for a furniture gathering astatine the premier minister's bureau successful Jerusalem connected Aug. 27, 2023. (MENAHEM KAHANA/Pool via REUTERS)

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Trump was not the lone person who met with the Israeli firebrand. Several high-profile Republicans, including Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., and Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., met with Ben-Gvir connected Capitol Hill. 

The House Foreign Affairs Committee, which Mast chairs, posted a photograph of the president with Ben-Gvir and wrote that the 2 discussed America and Israel’s shared information interests. Mast is good versed successful some American and Israeli information needs arsenic a U.S. Army seasoned and erstwhile Israel Defense Forces (IDF) volunteer.

Prior to his gathering with Mast, Ben-Gvir had the accidental to sojourn his location authorities wherever helium saw thing that helium wanted to instrumentality backmost with him to Israel: weapon culture.

Ben-Gvir has agelong been an advocator for wider organisation of firearms successful Israel, and portion helium was visiting the U.S., helium took clip to spot however America handles guns. He had the accidental to sojourn some a shooting scope and a weapon store, which helium said was "fascinating."

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, left, visits the Al-Aqsa compound, besides known to Jews arsenic the Temple Mount, successful Jerusalem's Old City connected May 21, 2023. (Minhelet Har-Habait, Temple Mount Administration/Handout via REUTERS. )

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"I was amazed by the quantity and types of weapons available. Even I haven’t reached that level," Ben-Gvir told Fox News Digital.

He spoke astir however critics person accused him of arming militias, which helium denies. When speaking with Fox News Digital, Ben-Gvir said that the weapons helium distributed successful Israel "saved galore lives."

"I judge we request to larn a from the Americans. One of the important lessons is their argumentation connected weapons," Ben-Gvir told Fox News Digital. "I’m not definite I would administer arms to the aforesaid extent, but I decidedly judge successful expanding entree due to the fact that citizens person the close to support themselves."

Gun civilization successful Israel has changed since the Oct. 7 massacre. Before the attacks, Israel was strict astir who was eligible to get a firearm. Pre-Oct. 7, firearm licenses were restricted to those who unrecorded and enactment successful high-risk areas, licensed circuit guides and those who served with Israeli constabulary oregon IDF information forces, among a fewer different specified categories, according to an Israeli authorities website from 2019.

Israeli forces are seen among the rubble of buildings destroyed aft the clashes betwixt Israeli and Palestinian forces successful Be'eri, Israel, connected Oct. 13, 2023. (Nir Keidar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Since Oct. 7, Israel has seen a emergence successful applications for firearm permits. While Ben-Gvir worked to streamline the handgun exertion process anterior to the attacks, helium instituted further reforms aft the massacre. According to the Times of Israel, these reforms included changes to subject work requirements for those seeking a license. Additionally, helium expanded eligibility requirements to see nationalist work members who person nary transgression record, past of unit oregon intelligence wellness issues.

"We request to let arsenic galore citizens arsenic imaginable to beryllium armed. It gives radical a consciousness of security—when idiosyncratic has a limb successful their pocket, they consciousness safer," Ben-Gvir told Fox News Digital.
He added that helium had been warring to limb communities adjacent Gaza but said radical "didn’t perceive to me. After Oct. 7, I was proven right. It became wide however indispensable it was to supply much weapons to civilian defence squads."

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However, helium is arrogant of his enactment distributing weapons successful the country adjacent Gaza and establishing civilian defence squads there. "Thank God, it’s working," helium said.

Amelie Botbol contributed to this report.