Bezalel Smotrich

Bezalel Smotrich
Bezalel Smotrich
	Smotrich in 2023
Other ministerial roles
2019–2020	Minister of Transport
2022–	Minister of Finance
2022–	Minister in the Defense Ministry
Faction represented in the Knesset
2015–2019	The Jewish Home
2019	Union of Right-Wing Parties
2019	Yamina
2019–2020	The Jewish Home–Tkuma
2020–2021	Yamina
2021–2023	Religious Zionist Party
Personal details
Born	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. The leader of the National Religious Party–Religious Zionism,^[1] he previously served as a Knesset member for Yamina.^[2]

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 extremist politics and often racist and homophobic statements 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]

^ Fritzhand, Troy (3 August 2023). "Religious Zionism to merge with Jewish Home". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
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^ Cite error: The named reference radical was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference TOI2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).