Bezalel Smotrich

Finance Minister Smotrich says Israel is ready to establish three Gaza settlements, awaiting Prime Minister Netanyahu's green light.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that the planning and construction arrangements under the Hebron agreement have been canceled. The practical meaning: planning and building authority in the Jewish community of Hebron and at holy sites, including the Cave of the Patriarchs, returns to the full responsibility of the State of Israel.

Israel rejected the coordinated measures as a political attack on Jewish life in Judea and Samaria, disguised as action against violence

About 60 communities along the eastern conflict line will receive a 7% income tax credit, applied retroactively from January 2026; the bill passed by a vote of 32 to 23.

The annual Israel parade in New York drew record-breaking crowds this year. After criticizing his participation, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani received a message from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich: "History proves that whoever stands on the wrong side of it loses, and unfortunately, he will lose."

Officials who attended and defended the Israel Day Parade joined progressive Jewish groups in criticizing the finance minister’s participation

Tzvika Mor, chair of the Tikvah Forum and father of former hostage Eitan Mor, is joining the Religious Zionism party. The move comes after final agreements were reached to reserve him a top spot on the party’s Knesset slate.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed an investment of roughly 2 billion shekels to confront the drone threat. Alongside technological solutions, he called for a shift in Israel’s deterrence policy toward Hezbollah: “We won’t be able to spread nets over all of Israel, nor cover it with automatic machine-gun systems.”

A request has been filed with the International Criminal Court in The Hague seeking the arrest of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The prosecution alleges his involvement in offenses against the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria. Similar requests may also be filed against ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and ישראל כ"ץ.

According to a report in "Haaretz," the International Criminal Court has expanded its actions against Israel and issued secret arrest warrants for three politicians and two senior military officials. The identities of the officials have not been disclosed, but the international implications could be dramatic.

Two decades after the northern Shomron evacuations, a zoning plan for Sa-Nur has been approved, signaling a move from temporary solutions to permanent, long-term housing.

Netanyahu says the move contradicts Israeli policy as ministers warn it rewards Hamas and endangers Israel’s security