Itamar Ben-Gvir Expands Firearm Access To All Jewish Neighborhoods Amid Fake Death Reports

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir said on Monday that all Jewish residents of Jerusalem will now be eligible to apply for gun licences based on their home address, confirming a major expansion of firearm access at a moment when he has also been the subject of false online rumours claiming he had been killed. The new policy, reported by Haaretz, opens eligibility to roughly 300,000 additional people living across the city.

Ben‑Gvir has spent the past year pushing for wider civilian gun ownership in what he frames as a protective measure during periods of heightened security tension. Until now, broad eligibility had largely been limited to residents of Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, where licences were often tied to geographic risk assessments. This latest shift moves that threshold dramatically, making neighbourhood alone the deciding factor for applicants across the city.

Why The Itamar Ben‑Gvir Gun Policy Is Expanding Now

Ben‑Gvir said residents should apply as soon as possible, arguing that armed civilians strengthen national readiness during wartime and during Ramadan. His statement framed the change as a matter of rights and self‑defence. He said Jerusalem families deserve the ability to defend themselves. The minister has repeated similar arguments in Ashkelon, Kiryat Gat and Ashdod as part of a broader campaign to widen access to weapons.

The most striking aspect of the new policy is its reach into communities not traditionally associated with firearm ownership. Tens of thousands of eligible residents will include members of the Haredi community who, in many cases, have little or no weapons training. Haredim often do not serve in the Israel Defense Forces and therefore lack the standard military exposure to firearms that underpins competency assessments for many Israelis. Critics of the minister's broader approach have previously questioned whether rapid expansion of eligibility risks introducing weapons into homes that are not accustomed to them.

The Supreme Court has already signalled its discomfort with the speed and scale of Ben‑Gvir's licensing changes. Last month, the court reviewed nearly two hundred licences granted under his tenure and found procedural irregularities in a significant portion of them. Dozens of recipients were ordered to return their firearms. That ruling raised concerns that the licensing process had been relaxed without sufficient oversight. The court has not yet commented on the implications of the latest policy, but legal experts say it may face scrutiny if implementation appears inconsistent with national firearms regulations.

A Policy Rollout Overshadowed By Fake Reports Of Itamar Ben‑Gvir's Death

The announcement came on the heels of a burst of misinformation that falsely claimed Ben‑Gvir had been killed in an Iranian attack on his home. Viral posts alleged his house in Jerusalem had been struck, sharing recycled footage from an unrelated fire in the United States as supposed proof. Some posts claimed that authorities had staged a cover story to disguise his injuries. None of these claims were supported by official reports and Israeli analysts publicly identified the videos as fake.

The fact that the rumour spread so widely in the hours before the policy shift only added confusion to an already volatile climate. Israeli officials dismissed the claims as fabrications, and no credible outlet reported any incident involving the minister. Ben‑Gvir made several public appearances in the days that followed, further undercutting the rumours. Still, the timing showed how easily misinformation can intercept the political conversation, especially when it centres on divisive figures like Ben‑Gvir.

Against that backdrop, his firearm expansion policy emerged with renewed intensity. Supporters view it as a logical extension of his longstanding argument that civilians can deter attacks when police and soldiers are stretched thin. Opponents counter that the measure risks flooding densely populated neighbourhoods with firearms, some in the hands of people with limited training, at a moment when tensions in the city remain unpredictable.

What happens next may depend on how the Interior Ministry and police manage the expected wave of applications. If the system becomes overwhelmed or if further irregularities are detected, the Supreme Court could intervene again. For now, Ben‑Gvir has made clear he intends to continue using his position to redefine who can carry a gun in Israel's capital.