“Israeli” Finance Minister Smotrich Resigns, Deepening Coalition Crisis

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has stepped down from his position, adding further strain to Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition regime.

According to “Israeli” Channel 12, Smotrich submitted his resignation letter to Netanyahu on Monday.

A spokesperson for Smotrich stated that the resignation was in protest against ultranationalist-Zionist Jewish Power party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir’s demands for additional ministerial positions upon rejoining the regime. Ben-Gvir had previously resigned from Netanyahu’s government in January.

Smotrich will now return to the Knesset as a lawmaker representing his far-right Religious Zionism party.

While the move does not immediately threaten the survival of Netanyahu’s coalition regime, it further complicates the political landscape amid growing internal fractures. The ruling far-right alliance has been struggling with divisions over key appointments and policies in recent months.

Back in January, Ben-Gvir and his entire party quit Netanyahu’s coalition in opposition to the Gaza ceasefire agreement, labeling it a “capitulation to Hamas” and a betrayal of the entity’s so-called military achievements.

Before his resignation, Ben-Gvir held a cabinet position alongside two other Jewish Power MPs. His party controls six seats in the 120-member Knesset.