Bezalel Smotrich
 Bezalel Smotrich    (politician, lawyer) | |
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| Born | 27 February 1980 |
Bezalel Yoel Smotrich is an Israeli far-right politician and lawyer who has been Minister of Finance since 2022. The leader of the National Religious Party–Religious Zionism, Smotrich was previously 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.
Smotrich's statements, often dubbed "racist" and "homophobic," have led to several controversies. He is a supporter of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, opposes Palestinian statehood, and denies the existence of the Palestinian people.
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.
In an interview for the documentary, "In Israel: Ministers of Chaos", produced by European public service channel, Arte, Smotrich claimed:
- Israel would expand “little by little” and eventually encompass all Palestinian territories as well as Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
- "It is written that the future of Jerusalem is to expand to Damascus," he said, citing the“Greater Israel” ideology, which envisions the expansion of the state across the Middle East.[1]
In November 2024, Smotrich had to cancel a planned visit to France fearing arrest for the crimes committed by Israel in Gaza.[2]
References
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