Israel’s Finance Minister and far-right political figure Bezalel Smotrich has, for the first time, publicly expressed a loss of confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a statement released Saturday, Smotrich criticized the Israeli security cabinet’s decision to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, describing it as a “half-measure” and insufficient for achieving a decisive victory. “Unfortunately, for the first time since the war began, I feel that I cannot stand behind this decision and support it. My conscience does not allow it. I have lost faith that the prime minister can and wants to lead the IDF to a decisive victory,” Smotrich declared.
He went on to question whether the move would secure the release of Israeli captives in Gaza. “This is not how you decide, this is how you don’t return hostages, this is how you don’t win a war. Sending tens of thousands of fighters to maneuver in Gaza City—risking their lives, paying heavy political and international prices—just to pressure Hamas to release hostages, and then backing down, is immoral and illogical folly,” he said.
Smotrich called on Netanyahu to reconvene the cabinet and adopt a new strategy: “This time we proceed with a clear, sharp move toward a decisive outcome and victory—ending with Hamas’s complete surrender and the return of all hostages at once, or with its defeat and total destruction. Annex large parts of the Gaza Strip and open its gates to voluntary emigration.”
A long-time proponent of occupying and settling Gaza while removing the Palestinian population, Smotrich previously derailed a potential ceasefire in April 2024 by threatening to withdraw his Religious Zionism Party from Netanyahu’s governing coalition, which would have cost the prime minister his parliamentary majority.
The Gaza occupation plan has sparked protests worldwide. Even Germany, historically one of Israel’s staunchest allies, recently announced export bans on certain military equipment to Israel. The planned offensive—reportedly involving the call-up of 250,000 reservists—has also met resistance from within Israel’s own military leadership, who warn that the army is already overstretched and that occupying Gaza may be unfeasible.