Illegal weapons in Israel: From military M16s to submachine guns
'The majority of the weapons that we see the police catch are often M-16s and other military rifles'
Around 400,000 illegal weapons are circulating in Israel, according to a 2020 report by Israel's parliament.
Most of those weapons are stolen military guns, i24NEWS science and technology correspondent Ariel Levin-Waldman explained.
“There are pretty much four main avenues for illegal guns. The biggest one is stolen military weapons,” he said.
“When you have a bureaucracy the size of the [Israeli] military, you're going to have things that fall through the cracks.”
Israel’s parliament recently passed a bill that mandates minimum sentences for possession and trafficking of illegal firearms.
“Policy-wise, when it comes down to ownership… about seven percent of the population here has access to a firearm permit, but the permitting process is extraordinarily difficult,” Levin-Waldman said.
“You have to show a few key things before the Internal Security Ministry will allow you to get a firearm.”
Israel is experiencing a surge of gun violence in Arab communities, which many blame on the state’s neglect as police are struggling to crack down on powerful criminal organizations.
Last month, police carried out what they said was the largest weapons bust in Israeli history, seizing arms and arresting dozens of gun runners.
“The majority of the weapons that we see the police catch are often M-16s and other military rifles,” Levin-Waldman said.
“The next big [avenue] that we see is home manufacturing of firearms. We see those used in a lot of attacks in the region. The famous one is the Carlos submachine gun, which is basically a bunch of pipes and some springs."
However, Levin-Waldman noted that the most dangerous of the illegal weapons are “those military arms.”