Bezalel Smotrich

Bezalel Yoel Smotrich (Hebrew: בְּצַלְאֵל יוֹאֵל סְמוֹטְרִיץ׳ [bet͡salˈ(ʔ)el ˈsmotʁit͡ʃ]; born 27 February 1980) is an Israeli politician and lawyer who has served as the Minister of Finance since 2022. The leader of the Religious Zionist Party, he previously served as a Knesset member for the Jewish Home and Yamina, leaving in 2023 after resigning under the Norwegian Law, allowing him to remain a minister in the government while his seat in the Knesset could be taken by another candidate from his party.

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. As part of the Israeli far-right, he is a supporter of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, opposes Palestinian statehood, and denies the existence of a 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.