Bezalel Smotrich

"Smotrich" redirects here. For places in western Ukraine, see Smotrych.

Bezalel Smotrich
Smotrich in 2023
Ministerial roles
2019–2020Minister of Transport
2022–Minister of Finance
2022–Minister in the Defense Ministry
Faction represented in the Knesset
2015–2019The Jewish Home
2019Union of Right-Wing Parties
2019Yamina
2019–2020The Jewish Home–Tkuma
2020–2021Yamina
2021–2023Religious Zionist Party
Personal details
Born (1980-02-27) 27 February 1980 (age 44)
Haspin, Golan Heights

Bezalel Yoel Smotrich (Hebrew: בְּצַלְאֵל יוֹאֵל סְמוֹטְרִיץ׳; born 27 February 1980) is an Israeli far-right politician and lawyer who has served as the Minister of Finance since 2022.[1] The leader of the National Religious Party–Religious Zionism,[2] he previously served as a Knesset member for The Jewish Home and Yamina.

Smotrich is a settler in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, living in the settlement of Kedumim, which is illegal under international law. His residence was also built illegally outside the settlement proper.[3]

Smotrich's statements, often dubbed "racist" and "homophobic," have led to several controversies.[4] He is a supporter of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, opposes Palestinian statehood, and denies the existence of the Palestinian people.[4] As minister with powers in the occupied Palestinian territories, he has led clandestine Israeli efforts to annex territories in the West Bank, first as a fait accompli, then by force of law.[5][6]

  1. ^ Tanno, Sophie (2 June 2024). "Two far-right Israeli ministers threaten to topple the government if it accepts Biden peace plan". CNN. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  2. ^ Fritzhand, Troy (3 August 2023). "Religious Zionism to merge with Jewish Home". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference radical was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference TOI2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Beaumont, Peter (24 June 2024). "Israeli far-right minister speaks of effort to annex West Bank". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
  6. ^ Loveluck, Louisa; Parker, Claire; Taha, Sufian (15 August 2024). "Israel is redrawing the West Bank, cutting into a prospective Palestinian state". The Washington Post.