Smotrich announces he will not withdraw from the government: "We are advancing a good strategic process"

Israeli Finance Minister and Religious Zionism Party leader Bezalel Smotrich announced that he will not withdraw from the government for the time being due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to allow aid into the Gaza Strip and a daily ceasefire of several hours.

Smotrich opposes this decision, from which Netanyahu's office claimed that Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir were excluded from and not invited. However, Smotrich said in a statement last night that "it is not right to make political calculations in a war," adding that "we will be tested according to the results – the defeat of Hamas," according to media reports on Monday.

Smotrich continued, "We are advancing a good strategic process, and it's not worthwhile to expand on it now. In a short time, we will know if it was successful and where we are headed."

Ben-Gvir had proposed to Smotrich that they work together against Netanyahu and form a "blocking bloc" against negotiations with Hamas over a ceasefire agreement to end the war on Gaza and a prisoner exchange. In this context, Ben-Gvir also sought to persuade rabbis to pressure Netanyahu.

Smotrich rejected Ben-Gvir's proposal, saying the situation was too serious to issue a warning to withdraw from the government, while Ben-Gvir continues to insist on his proposal.

A far-right official warned that "the tactic of endless threats weakens the one threatening, and essentially weakens the government on the eve of historic decisions. It's not good for the public in Israel and around the world to believe that everything that's happening is the result of blackmail by Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. If the situation continues like this, it's better to agree to early elections and implement what needs to be done on the Gaza front, regarding the kidnapped soldiers and normalization, in the remaining months," Channel 12 reported.

Smotrich's remarks come days after he participated in a conference held in the Knesset titled "The Gaza Riviera – From Vision to Reality," which discussed settlements in the Gaza Strip. Smotrich said at the conference, "The chief of staff told me a week ago that a security annexation of the northern areas of the Strip should be implemented."

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