Bezalel Smotrich

People of Israel candidate quits Ofer Winter's party amid mounting pressure from right-wing rivals

Davidi Ben Zion quits Ofer Winter's party amid right-wing pressure, prompting fierce criticism from Winter and praise from Netanyahu and Smotrich.

OFER WINTER speaks at the launch of the People of Israel party in Jerusalem.
 From right: Netanel Rotenberg, co-CEO of Habayta; Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer; and Yosef Hoter, co-CEO of Habayta.

Jewish Agency Chief Almog: Israel can absorb one million new immigrants amid rising antisemitism

Einat Wilf seen in the Knesset, in Jerusalem, April 17, 2012

'War of consciousness': Reservists-Economic's Wilf unveils plan to combat anti-Israel narratives

Tents housing displaced Palestinians are seen among homes destroyed during the recent war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, September 3, 2026.

BoP expects Gaza reconstruction after elections as Israelis support Netanyahu-Eisenkot TV debate


High Court seeks timeline for steps toward Palestinians’ return to northern West Bank camps

The state was given until November 23, 2026, to submit its response. The court did not order the immediate return of residents or direct the IDF to withdraw from the refugee camps.

Israel security forces apprehend five terrorists planning an  imminent terror attack in the Barta'a area near Jenin, November 30, 2025.

The settlement revolution: How Bezalel Smotrich changed Israel's map for the better - opinion

Since the current government took office at the end of 2022, it has approved the establishment or retroactive legalization of 104 Jewish communities there.

FINANCE MINISTER Bezalel Smotrich attends a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Karmei Yehuda community in the Hebron Hills, Sept. 27.

Netanyahu, Smotrich hold conference to rally right-wing voters, excluding Ben-Gvir

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was not invited to the conference, named "Saving the Right," which included dozens of Religious Zionist rabbis, along with heads of yeshivas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at the Saving the Right Conferance in Jerusalem, Thursday, October 8, 2026.

Israel is not Netanyahu: The Jewish case against political idolization - opinion

As Israelis head to the polls, October 7 demands accountability from leaders and a rejection of the idea that any politician is bigger than Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a Likud party rally in Tel Aviv, September 17, 2026; illustrative.

‘There will be no Tel Aviv’: Egyptians threaten Israel following Smotrich Sinai comments

“There will be no Tel Aviv, there will be no Ben-Gurion Airport, and there will be no Netanyahu,” said Amr Adib on MBC Egypt.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks at the National Conservatism Conference, or NatCon, in Jerusalem on October 6, 2026.

Smotrich: ‘Voluntary migration’ of Gazans to Muslim countries ‘is not racism’

“Encouraging the voluntary migration of Muslims who seek to leave conflict zones specifically to Muslim countries is not racism,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said at NatCon.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks at the National Conservatism Conference, or NatCon, in Jerusalem on October 6, 2026.

Multi-million Herod’s Pools renovation project begins amid gov’t push to promote West Bank tourism

Sukkot, echoing Smotrich’s words, calling the neglect of Herod’s Pools “an injustice,” noting that he is pleased with Smotrich’s and the Settlement Administration’s “swift response.”

Israelis hang out at the ancient archaeological site known as Herod's Pool on July 31, 2026.

Netanyahu's Likud, Smotrich's RZP sign surplus-vote agreement ahead of elections

Likud signed a surplus vote agreement with Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party, while Otzma Yehudit accused Netanyahu’s party of sidelining Ben-Gvir.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attending the Knesset, February 7, 2024; illustrative.

‘I want to see it empty’: Feiglin calls for annexation of Gaza during next gov’t's term - interview

“I want to see Gaza empty. I am not afraid when they’re hiding behind their own babies. And this is what they do,” Feiglin said.

Moshe Feiglin attends a hearing at the Israeli Supreme Court in Jerusalem on petitions challenging the UNRWA laws passed by the Knesset, August 3, 2026

Netanyahu, Smotrich intervene to cut gas prices again after Israel reaches record high

The order reducing the fuel excise tax, which Smotrich signed on Sunday, lowered the price of a liter of gasoline from NIS 8.27 to NIS 7.77.

A general view of a sign displaying fuel prices at a gas station in central Israel, after fuel prices increased at midnight, October 1, 2026.