Former Head of Israeli Firearms Licensing Faces Charges Over Unauthorized Gun Permits After October War

Israel Avishar, former head of the Firearms Licensing Department at Israel's Ministry of National Security, is facing potential criminal charges for fraud and breach of trust, pending a hearing, the State Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday. The allegations stem from Avishar's authorization, after the outbreak of war on October 7, to allow unauthorized personnel to issue tens of thousands of gun licenses to civilians. According to the indictment, approximately 23,000 conditional firearm permits and 15,000 final licenses were improperly issued by unqualified individuals. The case is under investigation by the National Fraud Investigation Unit of Lahav 433.

Avishar resigned in early December 2023, about two months after the October 7 massacre, following his admission in a Knesset hearing that there were likely failures in the approval process for gun licenses issued by unauthorized staff. At the time, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir defended his policy of arming eligible Israeli citizens and criticized Avishar for succumbing to political pressure from left-wing factions, stating that those not implementing the ministry's directives should not remain in their positions during wartime.

The controversy intensified when Avishar revealed that trusted appointees of Minister Ben-Gvir operated a command center within his office to approve gun licenses, and that interviews for applicants were conducted by national service volunteers and Knesset staff via phone rather than in person. Avishar acknowledged this was not ideal and called for a return to face-to-face interviews despite the high demand for permits following the war's outbreak. Opposition MKs Gilad Kariv and Yoav Segalovich demanded a criminal investigation into Ben-Gvir over the issue.

In his resignation letter, Avishar described the firearms licensing process as chaotic and lacking proper oversight, warning that the current system could not guarantee a professional and lawful procedure for issuing private gun permits. The surge in license applications, reaching 250,000, overwhelmed the ministry, leading to shortcuts and procedural lapses. Avishar had previously requested Ben-Gvir to reconsider the ministry’s relaxed licensing criteria, but the minister refused to compromise. The case highlights serious concerns about firearms regulation and governance during a national emergency in Israel.