Bezalel Smotrich
Israeli finance minister and leader of the Religious Zionism party who has called for the Litani River to be Israel's border with Lebanon
| Bezalel Smotrich
| |
|---|---|
| Image | 
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| Born | 27 February 1980 Haspin, occupied Golan Heights[1] |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Residence | Kedumim, occupied West Bank[1] |
| Occupation | Minister of Finance; Additional Minister in the Ministry of Defence |
| Known for | Leader of the 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.[2][3] He lives in the West Bank settlement of Kedumim.[1] 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".[4] The United Kingdom and four other states sanctioned him in June 2025 for inciting violence against Palestinians.[2]
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".[5] Reuters called the comments "the most explicit yet by a senior Israeli official on seizing Lebanese territory".[4] 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".[3] The National quoted him: "Just as we control 55 per cent of Gaza, we must do the same in Lebanon."[6] An Israeli military official told Reuters he could not comment on politicians' remarks or the government's long-term plans.[3] The next day the defence minister, Israel Katz, announced that the army would hold southern Lebanon up to the Litani as a "security zone".[7]
In May 2026 Smotrich attended the Jerusalem Day event at which Itamar Ben-Gvir spoke of a "settlement plan for Lebanon".[8]
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."[9]
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.[10] The Jordanian foreign ministry condemned his use of what it called a "Greater Israel" map.[11]
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.[2]
Hasbara budget
In December 2025 Smotrich and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar agreed a budget of NIS 2.35 billion for Israeli advocacy campaigns in the 2026 state budget. The Jerusalem Post reported that the money would be used for "campaigns to raise awareness for Israel worldwide", of which the government had "already authorized NIS 1 billion".[12] Sa'ar said that, alongside the increase, the government had approved his proposal for a public diplomacy unit in the Foreign Ministry.[12]
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total agreed for advocacy campaigns, 2026 | NIS 2.35 billion | [12] |
| Already authorised by the government | NIS 1 billion | [12] |
See also
- Itamar Ben-Gvir
- Greater Israel
- Litani River
- Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon (2024–present)
- Gideon Sa`ar
- Government Advertising Agency (Israel)
- National Information Directorate
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Financial Sanctions Notice: Global Human Rights HM Treasury, 10 June 2025, accessed 22 October 2026 (UK government-side).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK and partners unite to sanction ministers inciting West Bank violence GOV.UK, 10 June 2025, accessed 22 October 2026 (UK government-side).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Agencies and ToI Staff, Smotrich says Litani River should be Israel's new border with Lebanon The Times of Israel, 24 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tamar Uriel-Beeri and Maya Gebeily, Israeli minister calls for annexation of southern Lebanon Reuters, 23 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Al Jazeera, Smotrich urges Israel to annex southern Lebanon as assault intensifies Al Jazeera, 23 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ The National, Israel hits eight Lebanese bridges as Smotrich calls for Litani River border The National, 23 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Alexander Cornwell and Nazih Osseiran, Israel's military to occupy swathe of southern Lebanon, defence minister says Reuters, 24 March 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ L'Orient Today, Ben Gvir discusses Israel's 'settlement plan' for south Lebanon L'Orient Today, 15 May 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Shira Pinson and Matt Bradley, Extremist Jewish settlers eye Gaza NBC News, 17 May 2026, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ Hadas Gold, Amir Tal and Abeer Salman, Israeli minister says there's 'no such thing as a Palestinian people,' inviting US rebuke CNN, 21 March 2023, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ WAFA, Jordan Foreign Ministry slams Israeli minister over "Greater Israel" map WAFA, 20 March 2023, accessed 22 October 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Tobias Holcman, Smotrich, Sa'ar approve NIS 2.35 billion in hasbara budget for campaigns, influencers in 2026 The Jerusalem Post, 6 December 2025, accessed 22 October 2026.