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Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich resigns amid coalition rift

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich resigned from his post as minister on Monday in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Agencies and A News MIDDLE EAST
Published April 01,2025
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich during the weekly cabinet meeting at the Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 7, 2024. (REUTERS File Photo)

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich resigned from his post on Monday, deepening tensions within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

Smotrich will return to his seat in the Knesset as a lawmaker for the far-right Religious Zionism party, which he leads.

The resignation comes amid a dispute with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over the reinstatement of Knesset member Zvi Sukkot. In a statement, the Religious Zionism party accused Ben-Gvir, head of the Otzma Yehudit party, of breaching political agreements made between him, Smotrich, and Netanyahu's ruling Likud party.

The move highlights growing fractures within Israel's far-right coalition, which has faced internal divisions on key appointments and policies in recent months.