Israel's Weapons Licensing Chief Resigns: "I Can't Take It Anymore" Due to Ben Gvir's Actions

The head of the Firearms Licensing Division in the Israeli Ministry of Security, Yisrael Aficher, submitted his resignation on Sunday. Aficher, who has held the position for six years, attributed his decision to the actions of Israeli Security Minister Ben Gvir concerning the issuance of gun licenses. He stated that the minister granted a group of untrained employees the authority to issue weapon permits, according to Israeli media reports on Monday. This marks the third high-ranking official to resign from the National Security Ministry, raising questions about the hardline approach of the security minister. Notably, Ben Gvir previously sparked widespread controversy when he appeared in October distributing weapons to Israeli settlers amidst the ongoing war in Gaza. He also confirmed at that time that he had directed the purchase of 10,000 firearms to supply to settlers "for their self-defense," as he expressed.