Immediately on 8 October, after hundreds of civilians had been massacred the previous day, the Ministry of National Security set up an emergency desk. The desk, which was established under the Firearms Licensing and Control Division, sought to provide a quick response to the hundreds of thousands of citizens who applied for a weapons license.
For this purpose, "overcoming" workers from various departments, volunteers (former employees of the ministry) and young people in national service were recruited. All of them underwent professional training and received permission to issue conditional permits, based on only two criteria: place of residence and members of the security forces. These are two uncomplicated criteria that mainly require document verification.
Since then, all the reinforcers have been working around the clock at the desk to respond to the public's panic over protective tools. Some 260,20 applications have been submitted since the war began, a scope that once spanned 120 years. The Ministry of National Security has so far managed to process 55,35 applications and approve <>,<> conditional permits, of which about <>,<> licenses have been exercised, after a shooting range and medical approval.
Minister Ben-Gvir and Police Commissioner Shabtai, photo: Herzi Shapira
On the eve of 7 October, some 150,2 people, or 300 per cent of the population, held firearms with civilian licenses. According to estimates by sources in the Ministry of National Security, at the end of the process, about 4,<> people will receive a weapons license, thus doubling the percentage of civilians carrying weapons to <>% of the total population.
However, there is now a suspicion that within the Ministry of National Security there were those who illegally issued some 200 licenses without authority, in grave violation of procedures. In at least one case - even for a person with a psychiatric background.
About a month ago, the Israel Police, which is in charge of the Ministry of National Security, received documents and detailed information allegedly indicating the serious affair. A police spokeswoman confirmed to us that the materials had been forwarded to her and that the matter was under investigation. However, so far they have not been questioned or asked to give testimony to the relevant officials in the ministry, and on the face of it, nothing has been done. How much has not been done? So much so that the head of the Information and Cyber Security Division, Shlomi Bilgi, who allegedly had some 60 weapons licenses issued under his username without authority, is still in office.
A volunteer issued three weapons licenses to his associates, and although they were not eligible, he was sent home after honor. At the same time, it was discovered that under the username of a National Service girl, 140 licenses were issued without authority
Bilgi continues his work as usual as a division head, and sits in every important decision-making discussion in the office. He is also expected to receive a promotion soon and manage another division, thus rising to the rank of senior division head. Yes, yes. Despite suspicion of alleged involvement in serious acts, Bilgi continues to be in charge of security in the office in charge of the police.
"Bilgi has extensive connections in the Israel Police. He is also a very veteran volunteer in the police. When I went to see what was happening with the investigation, I didn't get a clear response," said a source in the Ministry of National Security. "Since to the best of my knowledge no relevant party has been called to testify, including those who exposed and prevented the continuation of the omission, my concern is that they are trying to frame the affair. I won't be silenced."
"I can't tolerate injustice," says another. "It drives me crazy that he's sitting assessing the situation and being close to everyone who needs it. The person is responsible for the integrity of the office, and on the other hand, allegedly did the most forbidden things. I try to tell myself, 'Forget it, the system will do its job,' but the system doesn't do its job. This should be under investigation, but it takes too long. You can't go over that. It can't be that he's around every corner making all the decisions."
The Strange Story of T.
According to ministry officials, the affair did not begin with Bilgi. A volunteer at the emergency desk, a former senior official in the ministry, issued three firearms licenses to his associates who were not entitled to it, and was sent home after honor.
Gate of Moshav Magen Shaul in the Gilboa Regional Council. The number of requests for weapons jumped dramatically after the terrorist attack in the south, Photo: Joshua Yosef
Ministry sources also claim that at the same time, it was discovered that under the username and from the computer of one of the National Service girls, who worked at the desk for about a week and a half, about 180 weapons licenses were issued. T., a National Service veteran, like all the reinforcements at the desk, was entitled to issue conditional licenses only according to two criteria: place of residence and members of the security forces. The same sources claim that 40 licenses issued using her computer were indeed in accordance with the authority given to her, but the other 140 were under different criteria, namely without authority, and apparently even skipping the phone interview stage.
As soon as this was discovered, T. was called for clarification. She claimed that she did not understand the procedures exactly. It was decided to hermetically block her from issuing licenses and keep her away from the emergency desk, and she was returned to her regular volunteer position in the wing from which she was loaned to the desk. This is the Information Security and Cyber Division under Shlomi Bilgi.
I spoke with T. on the phone. She claimed to have issued only six licenses from people who did not meet the criteria.
Has someone asked you to do this?
"Nope. I just didn't realize it would be a different distinction. These are similar criteria."
Maybe they used your name?
"No, I don't think anyone used my card. He was on me all the time."
When was that?
"About a month ago."
After you were blocked, another 60 licenses were removed from Shlomi Bilgi's username. Did you know about it?
"Nope. I don't know. Why, did he say that?"
Do you have a relationship with Bilgie? Is he your boss?
"Something like that. I'm on the bus. Can you call later?"
When I tried to call later, T. no longer answered, and in the message clarified that she was not speaking to reporters and referred me to the ministry's spokesperson. Sources in the ministry claim that T.'s behavior is not typical, and raises concerns that she was manipulated and exploited by others: "Her act is very uncharacteristic of the 14 service girls and the service member who overcome the desk, and who do professional work with astonishing dedication."
• 260,120 applications for weapons licenses have been submitted since the beginning of the war
• 300,4 applications have been processed so far
• <>,<> people are expected to hold a weapons license at the end of the process, and the proportion of armed civilians will reach <> per cent
Two days after T. was blocked, gun licenses began to be issued under Shlomo Bilgi's username. Bilgi claimed to have been trained and certified, but the officials responsible do not remember this. Computerized authorization to issue licenses is granted from the department's computer only after approval by the head of the Firearms Division, Israel Avisar.
Avisar refused to answer my questions, but ministry sources say he was very surprised to learn that Bilgi had obtained computerized authorization to issue licenses. In any case, at no point was Bilgi part of the overcomers at the desk, nor did he sit in it. Sources say that the licenses he issued were issued outside the desk, without interviews, and included criteria that overcomers are not allowed to touch.
Computer monitoring of the desk exceeded this, and Bilgi was blocked after he managed to issue about 60 licenses. Several dozen of the 200 licenses issued by T. and Bilgi were revoked immediately, after it was clear that they had been issued in sharp contravention of procedures, that is, to people who did not meet the criteria to carry weapons. Regarding the others, an internal committee was established within the ministry, which reviews each case individually and examines which licenses can be approved retroactively, even though they were not legally granted.
Pandora's box?
On various social networks, there are elements that offer to accompany and expedite the process of issuing a weapons license. Some of them are organized entities such as law firms, which offer to accompany the process for NIS 2,000, and others are enforcers that have recently emerged, and for NIS 5,000 shorten processes, as revealed in the "Pipeline" plan.
Are the fact that at one end there are enforcers, who for money claim that they can ostensibly shorten processes, and the fact that at the other end there were those who issued licenses illegally, related to each other? Not at all sure, but it's definitely worth checking and exploring.
The entire information about the affair was passed on to Public Security Ministry Comptroller David Cohen and to the Ministry's legal advisor, Ariel Sizel. According to people inside the ministry, various officials pressured the comptroller and the emergency desk to try to silence the affair, and warned against opening Pandora's box. When materials were handed over to the police, the auditor and the attorney general stopped the internal investigation, and did not take any restraining measures against Bilgi.
What has not been done so far is an appeal to the Ministry of Justice, and especially to the DIP, to understand whether the fact that it is the office in charge of the police and a volunteer in the police does not require intervention in the investigation of elements outside the police.
It is suspected that about 60 weapons licenses were issued under the username of Shlomi Bilgi, head of the Information and Cyber Security Division. He continues to work as usual and is expected to be promoted. A ministry source says Bilgi has extensive connections in the police force
With or without connection to the affair, two weeks ago, Israel Avisar, a senior director of the Firearms Licensing and Supervision Division, announced his resignation. Avisar's resignation came after a stormy debate in the Knesset, and media claims that political elements on behalf of Minister Ben-Gvir were stirring up the ministry's professional decisions.
This was not the first resignation of senior officials in the ministry. In September, the firm's CEO, Shlomo Ben-Eliyahu, whom Ben-Gvir had appointed nine months earlier, resigned "for personal reasons." At the end of October, the firm's VP of Human Capital and Administration, Avivit Masband, resigned. She alleged "harm to proper administration" by the ministry's acting director-general, Elazar Ben Harash.
I asked professionals in the Ministry of National Security whether Ben-Gvir or political elements on his behalf were involved in the process of granting weapons licenses. "Nope. This is a lie and a lie," the source said. "None of the political elements interferes with who gets it and how much it gets. All that matters to the minister and his advisers is that everything is done professionally. There is no guiding hand here, or give it and let it, or turn a blind eye. If there had been a guiding hand here, no one would have set up a committee to examine the licenses that were illegally issued and revoke them."
"Ben-Gvir is encouraged to give up weapons, but with a lot of restrictions," another source added. "He's not stupid, he's not stupid at all. The fact that he is presenting to the people that he is distributing weapons without borders is not true. He lowered a distinction for fighters, and the impression received by the public was that any fighter could receive weapons. But this is not true. After all, we refuse most requests. Why? Because in the fine print of the procedures, the minister inserted that the fighter must present a combatant certificate.
"Warrior certificates have only been issued since 1999, meaning that only those who have been a combatant in the past 24 years can present them. The entire nation thinks that Ben-Gvir broke boundaries, and that anyone who once owned a weapon in the army, even 30 years ago, can now get a license – that's not true. Ben-Gvir put restrictions and limits. He's not a sucker. It presents one thing outwardly, perhaps in order to gain public sympathy, but in the end only those who are worthy will be licensed."
Responses
The police said in response that all the materials were transferred and are under police examination.
The Public Security Ministry said: "With the inauguration of National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, and in accordance with his policy, even before the terrorist attacks on October 7 and the war, the Ministry began to act and conduct thorough staff work to reform the Firearms Division and expand the criteria for firearms licensing, with the understanding that firearms save lives.
"The permits are obtained after approval from the Israel Police and the Ministry of Health. The Ministry does not take every claim raised lightly, and forwards it to the competent authorities for thorough examination. The allegations in question are about dedicated ministry employees who reinforced the Firearms Division in this important national mission. Shlomi Bilgi, who is the head of the ministry's security division, is a dedicated employee."
Shlomi Bilgi told us in response: "As far as I am concerned, your statements and the totality of your claims that were referred to the ministry's management are based on a false basis." In addition, he claimed: "The poison arrows are launched at me at a time when everyone realizes that the real address is much higher."
Bilgi added: "My volunteering was done in addition to my other duties in the office. The volunteer program was intended to do my part in the effort to handle citizen requests submitted to the Firearms Division. All my activity in this framework was carried out lawfully, in good faith, impartially and without any flaw and/or flaw."
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