Bezalel Smotrich

Few politicians in Israel split opinion the way Bezalel Smotrich does, so the public's ruling on him reflects the distance between his admirers and his opponents rather than a moderate middle position. As finance minister he is in charge of the wartime economy: on his watch VAT was raised to 18%, Israel's credit rating was downgraded in 2024, and the 2026 budget was approved in March amid controversy over transfers of funds to Haredi institutions. Many commentators have expressed disappointment with his economic policy, and in January 2026 he himself acknowledged that it had drifted to the economic left — under pressure, he said, from his coalition partners. As a minister in the Defense Ministry he is leading the expansion of settlement in Judea and Samaria, from approving construction in E1 to the push to apply sovereignty, and declares that these steps have erased the idea of a Palestinian state. Among the national-religious public and in the settlement movement this is a source of fervent support; in the center and on the left it is a reason for fierce opposition. The international arena carries weight as well: in 2025 Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway imposed sanctions on him, the Netherlands and Spain barred him from entering their territory, and in June 2026 France joined them. He goes into the election for the 26th Knesset at the head of a joint list with Moshe Feiglin's Zehut, after months in which his party hovered around the electoral threshold and Itamar Ben-Gvir rejected a joint run. His standing is bound up with the fate of the camp led by Benjamin Netanyahu: continued rule by the bloc would preserve his influence over the treasury and over Judea and Samaria, while a move into opposition would test how much of his public strength rests on his posts rather than on the man himself.