Who could believe it?

[size=4]Gun demand up 75 percent[/size=4]
By Etgar Lefkovits

JERUSALEM (March 7) - With the current escalation of terror, the Interior Ministry has been inundated with a 75 percent increase in requests for weapons permits over the last year, a figure that is expected to rise even further. According to figures released yesterday, the ministry received 7,790 request for permits last year, compared to 4,417 in 2000.

About 60% of applications were accepted in both years.

A total of 265,325 people currently have permits to carry firearms.

After a downward trend between 1996 and 2000, the dramatic rise in requests for licenses over the last year - which clearly coincides with the outbreak of violence at the end of September 2000 - continued this year - 879 requests to bear arms were made in January, and 490 were authorized.

The number of permits issued is likely to increase even further after a recommendation made this week police Insp.-Gen. Shlomo Aharonishsky to the Interior Ministry committee responsible for firearms registration that the criterion for people allowed to carry weapons be widened due to the security situation.

[b]The new regulations will allow all reserve officers with the rank of captain or higher to carry a gun, as well as all former members of elite combat units.[/b]

While acknowledging there is a risk extra guns on the street could result in Israelis become light on the trigger, Aharonishky said it has been proven civilians carrying guns saved lives during terror attacks.

Meanwhile, police are also going to condition the granting of permits to businesses on their stationing armed guards at their entrances.

The new regulations will make it mandatory for any store larger than 500 square meters - including hotels, swimming pools, amusement parks, movie houses, gas stations, and outdoor fairs - to employ an armed guard.

See article at:[url]
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2002/03/07/News/News.44732.html[/url]

Eric The(ObviouslyNotA'ShallIssue'Jurisdiction)Hun[>]:)]

They reject 40% of the applications?  Anyone have any idea why?z

Because they are anti-semitic.

Fineswine and Chucike Schumer - Jewish and rabidly antigun.

Neither apply the same standard to Israel.