Bezalel Smotrich

Gov't approves new defense budget during war, NIS 5b. allocation to haredim, settlements

Coalition funds are part of the national budget and are determined during coalition negotiations after elections when forming a government.

Prime Minister Benjamin convenes a government cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, October 26, 2025.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R), Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Netanyahu, Smotrich to 'set aside' haredi draft law, approve billions in defense funding for war

People are seen at the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem despite the ongoing war with Iran and Hezbollah and missile fire toward Israel, March 9, 2026.

Vigilant and united: Israel’s homefront resilience will decide outcome of Iran war - editorial

Finance Minister and head of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich speaks at the 40-signatures debate at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on February 23, 2026.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's son wounded on Lebanon border


From evacuation to forward defense: Israel shifts strategy against Hezbollah - analysis

Entire communities along the northern border were emptied amid fear that Hezbollah might try to penetrate the north as Hamas did in the south.

Hezbollah terrorists march in the funeral of senior terrorist Haytham Ali Tabatabai, others killed in IDF airstrike, in Beirut, November 24, 2025; illustrative.

Purim Shpiel: Knesset establishes new Protest Ministry

Purim Shpiel: The following is a satirical article from The Jerusalem Post's annual parodic Purim page, The Jerusalem Roast. Enjoy!

This Seems legit.

Government approves grants for residents whose homes were damaged in Iranian missile strikes

NIS 2,000 will be provided initially to each resident whose home was damaged and declared unfit for habitation, with residents additionally evacuated to a government-funded hotel.

 New Israeli Shekel banknotes are seen in this picture illustration taken November 9, 2021

‘Prepared for any scenario’: Israeli politicians unite backing Iran operation, vow full readiness

In his remarks, Netanyahu accused Iran’s leadership of sponsoring terrorism and threatening Israel and the United States.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pictured in Jerusalem on February 26, 2026; illustrative.

Middle Israel: Smotrich’s crushing Knesset defeat exposes the finance minister's limits - opinion

Smotrich is a light-year away from the Israeli consensus. Why does a man who represents but a marginal, detached, and minuscule part of Israeli society sit on its national chest?

EVEN BEZALEL Smotrich’s rivals agree that he is a smart man who studies complex issues quickly and knows how to make decisions. Here, the finance minister leads a faction meeting at the Knesset on Monday.

Netanyahu’s coalition topples Smotrich’s order to double tax import rate, opposition celebrates

The order was rejected by a wide margin, with 59 MKs against and 25 in favor.

Finance Minister and head of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich speaks at the 40-signatures debate at the Knesset, in Jerusalem, on February 23, 2026.

Mosque set on fire near Nablus, Australian teen attacked

The Jerusalem Post's must-listen news roundup with Shifra Jacobs—the top stories, clear and concise. 

A Palestinian man, holding Misbaha prayer beads, inspects the debris at a mosque, which Palestinians say was damaged by Israeli settlers, in West Bank village of Surra, near Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 23, 2026.

Business owners protest at Knesset as Smotrich raises Israel's import tax exemption

The government approved Smotrich's order on Sunday and is expected to be finalized through a vote in the Knesset plenum on Monday evening.

Finance Minister and Head of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, February 16, 2026.

Netanyahu's political opposition must present clear policies - opinion

Israel’s opposition unites against Netanyahu, but lacks policies to present a clear alternative government.

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel creeps toward West Bank annexation as election season approaches - opinion

The de facto annexation of the West Bank is the natural byproduct of a political system where words are cheap and real power operates without transparency.

A Palestinian man walks past a fence decorated with Israeli flags installed by Jewish settlers in the northern West Bank. The de facto annexation of the West Bank is the natural byproduct of a political system where words are cheap and real power operates without transparency, the writer says.