This paper talks about how the increasing number of guns among Jewish Israelis in Israel is linked to more gun violence among Palestinians. Over the past few years, there’s been a big rise in the number of Palestinian Arabs in Israel who’ve been killed due to organized crime and violence within Palestinian communities. This is happening because the government isn’t properly regulating guns and the police aren’t doing enough to stop the spread of illegal weapons.
Legal guns owned by Jewish Israelis, both individuals and in military camps, are a major source of weapons for Palestinians. Since October 7th, 2023, Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has made it easier for Jewish Israelis to get guns, which has made the situation worse. This paper looks at why Ben-Gvir and others are pushing for more Jewish Israelis to have guns and how it’s part of a wider strategy to control Palestinians and enforce Jewish dominance.
This strategy aims to increase Jewish control over Palestinians, both within Israel and in the West Bank and Gaza. Inside Israel, it’s about making Jewish people feel like there’s a crisis and arming them to be able to control Palestinians. This means giving guns mainly to Jewish men to suppress Palestinians. But making it easier to get guns also means more guns can end up in the hands of criminals in Palestinian communities, leading to more violence and deaths…..more