'Israel is no stranger to guns. Military service is compulsory for most men and some women, and the sight of uniformed and off-duty soldiers with assault rifles slug over their shoulders is common in public places. Yet Israel has long had strict gun laws and an aversion to a heavily armed civilian population. But the Palestinian uprising of the last 18 months, and particularly the recent series of deadly suicide bombings, have changed that.
Until earlier this year, private gun licenses were limited to people in the army reserves who held the rank of colonel or higher, or to people who worked or lived in specified dangerous areas. Hazan, for example, is a shoe dealer whose work has taken him to the West Bank. But in the beginning of February, the law was changed. For the next three years reservists with the rank of major can also be licensed to have personal weapons at home. Etzion estimated the change in the law has made between 20,000 and 40,000 more Israelis eligible for permits. In addition, organizations needing guns -- companies in Israel's fast-expanding security industry, for example -- can be issued a license. Their employees can take the guns home without having personal licenses.'