Bezalel Smotrich

The Minister of Agriculture is bringing a strategic plan until 2050 to the government for approval, but the Treasury warns of a "targeted assassination" of the agricultural reform, the burial of competition, and an immediate rise in prices. Dichter responds: "The Treasury's opposition is baseless."

Gadi Eisenkot maintains the lead, Benjamin Netanyahu maintains stability, and the union between Bezalel Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin garners 5 mandates. Will this trend hold until the party lists are finalized?

A Ynet and "Yedioth Ahronoth" poll reveals that despite criticism over ultra-Orthodox military exemptions, the majority of the religious-Zionist public remains loyal to coalition parties. Bezalel Smotrich leads in support, while Naftali Bennett’s popularity has significantly declined.

A significant development for the settlement movement in Judea and Samaria. As part of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's settlement policy, the Ministry of Interior has granted official settlement codes to four additional communities, establishing their status as full-fledged settlements in Israel.

Minister of Finance and Religious Zionism party chairman Bezalel Smotrich stated that the army will have to disarm Palestinian areas in Judea and Samaria, warning that the proliferation of illegal weapons poses a major security threat.

Israel's banking system is facing a major crisis regarding financial cooperation with the Palestinian Authority. Findings published by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich prove that the Authority's official banks serve as conduits for transferring funds to terrorists and their families.

The Ma'ale Arugot settlement was officially inaugurated at an event attended by ministers, Knesset members, settlement leaders, and residents. The settlement is located at a point connecting the west of Gush Etzion to its east, and the regional council defines its establishment as a significant move to connect the parts of the bloc.

Despite the failure to reach an agreement with Damascus, communication channels remain open. At the same time, Israel identifies a decrease in settler violence and an increase in enforcement: "We definitely see the damage caused as a result of this"

Negotiations between the two parties have concluded with a final agreement. The deal includes the formation of a technical block and allocates three spots in the top ten for Feiglin's representatives. Sources involved in the talks describe the process as "pleasant and efficient," noting that there are no significant disputes at this stage.

Ongoing disinflation and the strength of the shekel, despite a sharp rise in fuel prices, have led the Monetary Committee to decide on a further reduction in the base interest rate.

The Samaria Regional Council reported that over 25,000 students began the school year this Tuesday. The education system, which includes 28 elementary schools, 11 high schools, and 168 kindergartens, welcomed 1,440 first-graders. This year, the council is opening four new high schools and eight kindergartens, six of which were established in new settlements in northern Samaria.

In the village of Qusra, located in Area B, Jewish rioters arrive on weekends and attack Palestinian residents. Despite condemnations by the Prime Minister and an increased alert level, incidents repeat without arrests. Ynet military correspondent Elisha Ben Kimon explains why Qusra has become a flashpoint.

Likud and Yashar are leading this week in the use of artificial intelligence in election propaganda, but small parties are also discovering the potential of the new tools. At the same time, two videos suspected of using AI have already reached the Central Elections Committee and were removed. "The AI behind the elections" - a new column.

An additional 370 dunams have been declared state land, bringing the total area allocated for the city of Mishmar Yehuda to 3,750 dunams. Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the move will provide a solution to the housing crisis for tens of thousands of young couples.

The chairman of the Religious Zionism party backed 16 Givati Brigade soldiers who refused to board an Namer APC after learning she would join them: "They insisted on their right and duty to serve while maintaining their values and faith." He declared he would intervene after the IDF announced they would be sent to military prison: "I hoped the army would come to its senses."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed the controversy surrounding Givati soldiers who refused to board an armored personnel carrier with a female paramedic, declaring his support for the soldiers. He stated that they were upholding their religious values and announced his intention to demand answers from the IDF regarding the disciplinary actions taken.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has ordered a reduction in fuel excise tax to prevent a price hike. Experts criticize the move as election-year populism that will cost the state hundreds of millions of shekels.

Against the backdrop of fears regarding a sharp rise in fuel prices due to the blockade on Iran, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich will sign a special order to reduce the excise tax. The goal is to lower costs for consumers as early as this week.

The move to reduce the excise tax could cost the state treasury hundreds of millions of shekels. The Ministry of Finance is awaiting the Attorney General's decision on the feasibility of the move or whether it will be disqualified on the grounds of 'election economics'.

After calling on Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to unite with Smotrich ahead of the upcoming elections due to fears of losing votes in the right-wing bloc, the Prime Minister will be a guest tonight on the TV show "The Patriots" on Channel 14.

With ten days left until the finalization of the 2026 election lists, political parties are navigating critical decisions regarding mergers, reserved spots, and candidacy. Key uncertainties include Netanyahu's strategy, the future of Ra'am, Gantz's next move, and the potential for last-minute political 'stars'.

Ofer Winter's entry into the arena shuffled the deck, and polls left the Religious Zionism party out of the Knesset. Netanyahu invited Smotrich and Ben Gvir to a meeting, but the latter refused to attend. Possible mergers are expected to be finalized at the last minute.

As negotiations progress, Moshe Feiglin is on his way to the second spot on a joint list with the Religious Zionism party. At the same time, Otzma Yehudit flatly rejects a merger, and Itamar Ben Gvir attacks the Prime Minister: "I should remind you, I am not Benny Gantz." Yair Netanyahu and Almog Cohen fired back: "You were about to bring down the government yourself."

Following reports of contacts between Smotrich and Feiglin, the Minister of National Security attacked this evening, claiming that the public call for unity with him was intended to exert pressure in negotiations. This comes after he rejected the proposal for a joint run with the Religious Zionism party over the weekend.

According to the latest polls, both the National Unity party led by Benny Gantz and the Religious Zionism party led by Bezalel Smotrich are not passing the electoral threshold, but they will receive election funding advances in the millions of shekels.

The Likud MK backed the Otzma Yehudit chairman's refusal to unite with Smotrich and called on the Religious Zionism chairman to join Winter or Feiglin. The Prime Minister's son responded sharply: "He is playing Russian roulette with the fate of the country."

Representatives of the "Religious Zionism" and "Zehut" parties held talks over the past week in an attempt to reach an agreement on running together. As part of the emerging agreement, Feiglin would receive a high spot on the list. The move began to take shape even before Benjamin Netanyahu's pressure on Smotrich.

After refusing Netanyahu's call to unite with Smotrich, the ruling party published a sharp statement: "He wants a government that will establish a Palestinian state and close Channel 14"

Netanyahu returned to yesterday's call and announced that he would invite both party leaders to meet with him on Sunday: "We must unite." Ben Gvir responded quickly with a firm statement: "The parties will not run together, this is a final decision." In Otzma Yehudit, they claim they learned about the invitation through the social network.

Palestinian workers are no longer here and the industry is far from recovering. Restaurateur Ilan Zagdon says in an interview with Globes that he promoted a plan with Finance Minister Smotrich that will bring thousands more foreign workers: "The best restaurateurs have become dishwashers." But not everyone is impressed: "It's a joke. It's not even a band-aid," says restaurateur Bernardo Belhovich.

At a meeting between the Prime Minister and the chairman of Otzma Yehudit, Netanyahu demanded a merger with Smotrich, but Ben Gvir presented in-depth polls showing that the move would harm his electoral potential. Ben Gvir suggested including the chairman of Religious Zionism on the Likud list, but Netanyahu opposed it, arguing that the move could also harm his own party.

Prime Minister: "Every time we ran united, we won; when we ran divided, we lost." Netanyahu recalled the 1992 scenario, where three right-wing parties failed to pass the electoral threshold: "We got the Oslo disaster." Ben Gvir in response: "You want Otzma Yehudit to be small so you can go for unity with Eisenkot."

The Finance Minister presented a plan to establish dozens of new settlements in the Negev and the Galilee — by handing the Planning Administration and the Israel Land Authority to his party in the next government — and declared: "We will remove all anti-Zionist elements from these systems and cancel the plans that create sequences of Arab settlement and choke Jewish communities."

The Finance Minister presented a plan to establish dozens of new settlements in the Negev and the Galilee by handing the Planning Administration and the Israel Land Authority to his party in the next government. He declared: "We will remove all anti-Zionist elements from these systems and cancel the plans that create sequences of Arab settlement and choke Jewish settlements."

Chairman of the Israel Airports Authority workers' union, Pinhas Idan, addresses a personal and sharp letter to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich following the chaos at Ben Gurion Airport, rejects accusations of bullying, demands an investigative committee, and claims he was framed.

A new mandate poll reveals a shake-up in the national camp, as the Religious Zionism party fails to pass the electoral threshold while the new party of a reserve brigadier general records a surprising achievement.

The political system is outraged by the words of the Ra'am chairman, who wrote in a post that "the Jewishness of the state was forced upon him and he does not deny the Nakba". The chairman of the Religious Zionism party: "A wolf in sheep's clothing". Ofer Winter: "He can go to any Arab country he wants".

The Prime Minister's son responded repeatedly on the X network to candidates of the "Amha Yisrael" party and warned that running independently without merging with Bezalel Smotrich would split the right-wing vote: "Mathematically there cannot be any other result - you will crown a government of Eisenkot, Yair Golan and Mansour Abbas."

The Commander of the Central Command signed on Tuesday 18 new jurisdictions for communities in Judea and Samaria, including new settlements, young settlements, and veteran communities. The move is part of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's policy to expand and regulate the settlements, with 70 new jurisdictions promoted in less than a year.

Yehuda Eliyahu, Acting Director General of the Israel Land Authority, has canceled a musical featuring women's singing for a Rosh Hashanah event. He had previously agreed with the union to provide an alternative, but reneged on the deal.

The Prime Minister claimed that the defense budget must be urgently increased by tens of billions of shekels, but the discussion in the government was canceled. It remains unclear whether the initiative will be implemented before the elections.

Despite a government decision, the Ministry of Finance has failed to attend meetings on combating protection rackets led by Itamar Ben Gvir. Two months after the pilot project was announced, no funds have been transferred to affected businesses.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attacked the criticism today regarding Benjamin Netanyahu's attendance at Eden Ben Zaken's concert and warned of the steps he claims could be taken if the right loses the elections: "There will be a 'Season' government here."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir addressed the upcoming election campaign today (Monday) and ruled out the possibility of running together with Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich. In an interview with 103fm, Ben Gvir said that a connection between the two could harm the strength of the right-wing bloc, and called on Smotrich to join the new party of Brig. Gen. (res.) Ofer...

Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Orit Strock are demanding that the cabinet prevent the entry of multinational forces into the Gaza Strip until Hamas is fully disarmed. They claim that infrastructure is already being built to accommodate thousands of foreign soldiers.

The "Aleinu" organization is promoting a plan to transfer school management to local authorities and educational networks, moving teachers to personal contracts. The proposal, included in Naftali Bennett's platform, could trigger a three-month strike. Former Education Minister Yuli Tamir warns against implementing changes against the will of educators.

The Supreme Court rejected Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's request to cancel the freeze on funds approved by the Finance Committee, but allowed the release of 78 million shekels for the Ministry of Religious Services.

After the new British Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, expressed firm opposition to the plan for building housing units in the area between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim, the chairman of the Religious Zionism party went on the offensive. "The British Mandate in Eretz Yisrael has ended," Smotrich declared, while also challenging Gadi Eisenkot.

The "Choosing Israel" association filed a petition against a campaign video by the Finance Minister featuring children. Judge Noam Solberg ordered the party to remove the content.

An historic milestone was marked on Thursday in northern Samaria as the first families moved into the community of Kadim, which was uprooted 21 years ago. About 30 families have settled in the renewed community, accompanied by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan.