Bezalel Smotrich

Israel fuel prices could top NIS 9 per liter as tax cut expires after elections

Rising global oil prices amid expectations of renewed fighting with Iran, coupled with the expiration of Smotrich's fuel tax cut on November 3, are expected to drive fuel prices sharply higher.

A man fills up his vehicle at a gas station in central Israel, October 1, 2026. Fuel prices rose by 52 agorot at midnight, with the maximum price of 95-octane gasoline reaching NIS 8.27 per liter.
Druze protesters burn tires and block Route 6 in northern Israel, October 25, 2026.

Burning tires, halted traffic: Druze protesters block Route 6 days after Tel Aviv club attack

Rabbi Eli Sadan.

Winter’s rabbi backs People of Israel despite Netanyahu's pressure to withdraw from election

 BILL ACKMAN, a billionaire Jewish investor and director of the New York hedge fund Pershing Square, made it clear that there was no context when it came to calls for genocide.

Jewish billionaire Bill Ackman calls for Ben-Gvir, Smotrich to be excluded from next government


Smotrich scolds Sukkot over destroying West Bank monument as RZP members fear 'political suicide'

Smotrich reportedly told Sukkot he should not have acted without proper authorization and authority, and demanded that he not do it again.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (R) and MK Zvi Sukkot (L) attending a conference in the Knesset regarding occupying parts of the Gaza Strip and re-establishing Jewish settlements in the enclave, July 22, 2025; illustrative.

Eisenkot edges Netanyahu for PM suitability, Yashar bigger than Likud - poll

The bloc breakdown based on the results shows the coalition bloc with 50 seats, the opposition with 59 seats, and Arab parties with 11 seats.

Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar! party, speaks during the launch of a book in Herzliya, central Israel, April 26, 2026

Netanyahu warns against small right-wing parties, says they could hand election to 'fascist Left'

The prime minister's statement also came as Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad officially registered a new Right-wing party under the name "Brave Israel" on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu casts his ballot at his party Likud's main polling station during primary elections ahead of Israel's general election in October in Jerusalem on August 17, 2026; illustrative

Israel’s second War of Independence: The end of strategic illusions - opinion

Israel needs a government capable of combining military power with diplomatic judgment and building regional alliances.

A PLENUM session at the Knesset.

Smotrich, Strock push Netanyahu to bar ISF from operating in Gaza before Hamas disarmament

Last Friday, Strock attended a tour of the Life Support Area Endurance camp, a staging site for ISF forces, and viewed ongoing preperations for the deployment of the ISF.

Minister of Finance and Head of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, July 6, 2026.

High Court lifts freeze on NIS 78m. Religious Services funding, keeps broader freeze in place

The freeze stems from a petition challenging an August 4 Knesset Finance Committee meeting held during the election recess.

High Court Justice; illustrative.

Israel Election 2026: What does Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party stand for?

"If I put this ballot in the box, what government, policies, and political reality am I helping create?"

(L-R) Religious Zionist Party (RZP) MK Simcha Rothman and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich shake hands at the RZP primaries ahead of the 2026 Israeli  election, in Jerusalem, July 26, 2026

Smotrich calls on Netanyahu to conquer Gaza under military rule, re-establish settlements

"There is no one in the world who will do the work for us. There is no country in the world that will send its soldiers to shed their blood and forcibly disarm Hamas," he told the students.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at the Sderot Yeshiva, August 16, 2026.

Smotrich: Israel should target, kill Hamas leaders, not negotiate with them

Smotrich further asserted that Netanyahu's stated goals for Gaza were only "halfway there," with the missing half being full Israeli control of Gaza, including Israeli settlement there. 

The Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich

Smotrich outlines 10-year plan to bring one million olim from North America, Europe - interview

"We now need to take aliyah and deal with it at the same scale, the same investment, the same intensity with which we dealt with security and settlement," said the finance minister.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sits down with Editor-in-chief Zvika Klein and Political correspondent Keshet Neev at the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem.