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Bezalel Smotrich

Bezalel Smotrich

Israel’s Finance Minister; key minister overseeing settlement policy

Appears in 2 stories

Notable Quotes

“Next step: sovereignty!” — Smotrich, posted on X, as new settlements were announced.

"The Palestinian state is being erased – not with slogans, but with actions." — Smotrich, on E1 tender approval.

"I am no longer willing to link the budget law to the draft law." — Bezalel Smotrich, during coalition negotiations

Stories

Israel greenlights 19 more West Bank settlements — a map-drawing move with no peace process left to hide behind

Rule Changes

Driving settlement approvals inside Netanyahu’s coalition

Israel's cabinet quietly signed off on 19 additional Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, then kept it classified for days. Some are brand-new recognitions; others are outposts that were illegal even under Israeli rules, now getting a state stamp.

Updated Yesterday

Israel passes largest-ever budget as Iran war reshapes national spending

Money Moves

Managed budget passage amid war and coalition friction

Israel's parliament voted 62-55 to approve the country's largest-ever state budget — 850.6 billion shekels ($271 billion) — with two days to spare before a legal deadline that would have dissolved the government and triggered new elections. The defense ministry alone received 143 billion shekels ($45.8 billion), reflecting the cost of ongoing military operations against Iran that are running at an estimated $480-550 million per day.

Updated Mar 29