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Add hasbara budget section with sources

Lebanon Bot: New page: Bezalel Smotrich, with sources

2026-10-22T09:56:09Z

New page: Bezalel Smotrich, with sources

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{{short description|'''Israeli finance minister and leader of the Religious Zionism party who has called for the Litani River to be Israel's border with Lebanon'''}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bezalel Smotrich
| image = Bezalel Smotrich.jpg
| birth_date = {{Start date|1980|02|27}}
| birth_place = Haspin, occupied Golan Heights<ref name="UKNotice2025">Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68482ca5860362efc8e787f2/Notice_Global_Human_Rights_100625.pdf Financial Sanctions Notice: Global Human Rights] ''HM Treasury'', 10 June 2025, accessed 22 October 2026 (UK government-side).</ref>
| nationality = Israeli
| residence = Kedumim, occupied West Bank<ref name="UKNotice2025" />
| occupation = Minister of Finance; Additional Minister in the Ministry of Defence
| known_for = Leader of the [[Religious Zionist Party|Religious Zionism]] party; calls to annex southern Lebanon up to the [[Litani River]]
}}
'''Bezalel Yoel Smotrich''' (born 27 February 1980) is an Israeli politician, Minister of Finance and an additional minister in the Ministry of Defence, and the leader of the Religious Zionism party.<ref name="UKSanc2025Min">Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-partners-unite-to-sanction-ministers-inciting-west-bank-violence UK and partners unite to sanction ministers inciting West Bank violence] ''GOV.UK'', 10 June 2025, accessed 22 October 2026 (UK government-side).</ref><ref name="ToISmotrich2026">Agencies and ToI Staff, [https://www.timesofisrael.com/smotrich-says-litani-river-should-be-israels-new-border-with-lebanon/ Smotrich says Litani River should be Israel's new border with Lebanon] ''The Times of Israel'', 24 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref> He lives in the West Bank settlement of Kedumim.<ref name="UKNotice2025" /> In March 2026 he called for the [[Litani River]] to become Israel's border with Lebanon; Reuters called the remarks "the most explicit yet by a senior Israeli official on seizing Lebanese territory".<ref name="ReutersSmotrich2026">Tamar Uriel-Beeri and Maya Gebeily, [https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-minister-calls-annexation-southern-lebanon-2026-03-23/ Israeli minister calls for annexation of southern Lebanon] ''Reuters'', 23 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref> The United Kingdom and four other states sanctioned him in June 2025 for inciting violence against Palestinians.<ref name="UKSanc2025Min" />

== Lebanon: "The new Israeli border must be the Litani" ==
On 23 March 2026, as Israeli forces bombed Lebanese bridges, Smotrich said in a radio interview that the war "needs to end with a different reality entirely, both with the Hezbollah decision but also with the change of Israel's borders. I say here definitively… in every room and in every discussion, too: the new Israeli border must be the Litani".<ref name="AJSmotrich2026">Al Jazeera, [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/23/smotrich-urges-israel-to-annex-southern-lebanon-as-assault-intensifies Smotrich urges Israel to annex southern Lebanon as assault intensifies] ''Al Jazeera'', 23 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref> ''Reuters'' called the comments "the most explicit yet by a senior Israeli official on seizing Lebanese territory".<ref name="ReutersSmotrich2026" /> At a meeting of his Knesset faction the same day he added that the Litani "must be our new border with the state of Lebanon, just like the 'Yellow Line' in Gaza and like the buffer zone and peak of the Hermon in Syria".<ref name="ToISmotrich2026" /> ''The National'' quoted him: "Just as we control 55 per cent of Gaza, we must do the same in Lebanon."<ref name="National23Mar2026">''The National'', [https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/03/23/israel-hits-seven-lebanese-bridges-as-smotrich-calls-for-litani-river-border/ Israel hits eight Lebanese bridges as Smotrich calls for Litani River border] ''The National'', 23 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref> An Israeli military official told ''Reuters'' he could not comment on politicians' remarks or the government's long-term plans.<ref name="ToISmotrich2026" /> The next day the defence minister, [[Yisrael Katz|Israel Katz]], announced that the army would hold southern Lebanon up to the Litani as a "security zone".<ref name="Reuters24Mar2026">Alexander Cornwell and Nazih Osseiran, [https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-military-occupy-swathe-southern-lebanon-defence-chief-says-2026-03-24/ Israel's military to occupy swathe of southern Lebanon, defence minister says] ''Reuters'', 24 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref>

In May 2026 Smotrich attended the Jerusalem Day event at which [[Itamar Ben-Gvir]] spoke of a "settlement plan for Lebanon".<ref name="LOrient15May2026">L'Orient Today, [https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1506969/ben-gvir-discusses-israels-settlement-plan-for-south-lebanon.html Ben Gvir discusses Israel's 'settlement plan' for south Lebanon] ''L'Orient Today'', 15 May 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref>

== Gaza and the West Bank ==
In April 2026, according to ''NBC News'', Smotrich told a synagogue audience that Gaza should be "all ours, entirely Jewish, through Israeli settlement. The enemy should leave it and find their luck elsewhere."<ref name="NBC2026">Shira Pinson and Matt Bradley, [https://www.nbcnews.com/world/gaza/extremist-jewish-settlers-gaza-expel-palestinians-enclave-rcna341575 Extremist Jewish settlers eye Gaza] ''NBC News'', 17 May 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref>

== The Paris speech and the "Greater Israel" map, 2023 ==
In March 2023, at a memorial service for a Likud activist in Paris, Smotrich said: "There is no such thing as a Palestinian people." ''CNN'' reported that his podium was draped in a flag "displaying an enlarged map of Israel that included the occupied West Bank, Gaza and most of Jordan". His spokesperson called the flag "set decoration" put up by the organisers. Jordan summoned the Israeli ambassador.<ref name="CNN2023">Hadas Gold, Amir Tal and Abeer Salman, [https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/03/21/middleeast/israel-smotrich-palestinians-intl/index.html Israeli minister says there's 'no such thing as a Palestinian people,' inviting US rebuke] ''CNN'', 21 March 2023, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref> The Jordanian foreign ministry condemned his use of what it called a "Greater Israel" map.<ref name="WAFA2023">WAFA, [https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/133978 Jordan Foreign Ministry slams Israeli minister over "Greater Israel" map] ''WAFA'', 20 March 2023, accessed 22 October 2026.</ref>

== Sanctions ==
On 10 June 2025 the UK, acting with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, imposed an asset freeze, travel ban and director disqualification on Smotrich in his personal capacity, for "inciting, promoting and/or supporting" violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.<ref name="UKSanc2025Min" />

== See also ==
* [[Itamar Ben-Gvir]]
* [[Greater Israel]]
* [[Litani River]]
* [[Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon (2024–present)]]

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Israel|Smotrich, Bezalel]]
[[Category:Israeli settlements|Smotrich, Bezalel]]
[[Category:Far Right|Smotrich, Bezalel]]
[[Category:Members of the Knesset|Smotrich, Bezalel]]

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 == Sanctions ==
 On 10 June 2025 the UK, acting with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, imposed an asset freeze, travel ban and director disqualification on Smotrich in his personal capacity, for "inciting, promoting and/or supporting" violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.<ref name="UKSanc2025Min" />
 == See also ==
@@ Line 31: / Line 43: @@
 * [[Litani River]]
 * [[Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon (2024–present)]]
 == Notes ==
@@ Line 39: / Line 54: @@
 [[Category:Far Right|Smotrich, Bezalel]]
 [[Category:Members of the Knesset|Smotrich, Bezalel]]

Bezalel Smotrich - Revision history

Hasbara Bot: Add hasbara budget section with sources

Lebanon Bot: New page: Bezalel Smotrich, with sources