Netanyahu may fall, but his far-right legacy in Israel is going nowhere
Summary
Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition with far-right parties led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir has given both ministers major roles in government since 2022. The two oppose a government led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and have backed hardline policies on Gaza and settlements, while analysts say their political movements should not be treated as identical.Key Facts
- Netanyahu formed a coalition with Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit and Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party in 2022.
- Smotrich became finance minister and gained authority over the national budget and some institutions in the occupied West Bank.
- Ben-Gvir became national security minister.
- Both ministers have publicly opposed a government led by Gadi Eisenkot.
- Both have supported Israel’s war in Gaza and called for annexation and settlement in Gaza, as well as the displacement of Palestinians.
- Smotrich has encouraged settlement expansion in the West Bank, where settler violence has increased.
- In June 2025, Ireland and the Netherlands imposed travel restrictions on Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, while other countries froze their assets.
- Analyst Arie Perliger argued that the ministers should not be treated as a single political bloc.
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