Bezalel Smotrich is a far-right Israeli lawmaker and leader of the Religious Zionist Party, who currently serves as the country's finance minister as well as a minister in the Defense Ministry. In the past, Smotrich also served as transportation minister.
Smotrich is a highly divisive figure in Israeli politics, having been accused of racism, extremism, and homophobia. Smotrich has also gone on record saying that he is a "proud homophobe," staunch support for Israel's West Bank settlements, and rejects both the future existence of a Palestinian state as well as the existence of the Palestinian people.
The political leadership - including the prime minister, defense minister, and chief of staff - prefers to exhaust efforts toward a hostage deal.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed Shin Bet employees in a letter on Tuesday, following the Monday affidavit submitted by the agency's chief.
Smotrich said that while returning the hostages is an important goal, destroying Hamas is more important.
Smotrich also quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Saturday night statements in which the Israeli leader said, "the war will not end until we destroy Hamas in Gaza."
The minister made the remarks following the revelation that a Shin Bet official arrested on suspicion of leaking classified information.
"The responsibility for Israel's security lies with the government, and therefore, the authority [to fire Bar] rests with it," Smotrich said.
This comes as a senior Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) official in charge of the Jewish Division, identified as A., suspended himself on Sunday.
Israel and the US signed a free trade agreement in 1985, and some 98% of goods are tax-free.
The move’s purpose is to push Otzma Yehudit MK Yizhak Kroyzer out of the Knesset.
Netanyahu proposed Fogel as intelligence minister, but Smotrich blocked it over coalition issues. The offer was intended to ease tensions between Ben-Gvir and Smotrich.
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