At the close of his remarks on Monday, Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party chairman Bezalel Smotrich pledged that the government would continue pressing forward on economic reforms aimed at easing the burden on Israeli households. “I pledge here – we will continue to fight the high cost of living with all our strength. We will prove that it is possible to live in a safe, strong, and just country, and it can be affordable here,” he said.
Addressing economic policy more broadly, Smotrich said Israel’s economy has demonstrated resilience even under extreme pressure. “The State of Israel continues to advance on the economic front. The Israeli economy is strong. It proved itself during the hardest times, and I am proud to be at the helm during this period. However, I am well aware that the cost of living still burdens the citizens of Israel,” he noted.
He argued that entrenched interests have long kept prices high and resisted reform. “I say honestly: For many years, deep distortions were created here. Monopolies, barriers, strong interests – all together ensured that prices remained high. Those who benefit from this situation are in no hurry to give it up, and not everyone is happy to see me determined to dismantle these mechanisms. But I am not deterred. I did not come into this role to maintain the status quo, but to change it.”
According to Smotrich, concrete measures are already underway. “The milk reform, the deposit reform, the tax exemption on personal imports up to $150, and the tax on banks – all these are clear steps in one direction: to lower prices, increase competition, and give power back to the citizens,” he said.
Turning to internal security, Smotrich warned that the most serious danger currently facing Israelis is not external. “And now we must say it unequivocally – after amazing achievements in the foreign arenas of this war, the greatest current threat to the security of Israeli citizens is the enemy from within. The pictures and events from the Negev in recent days must sound every alarm bell, reminding us of the existence of tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of illegal weapons in the hands of crime and terror organizations in the Arab sector, including the most advanced and deadly explosives,” he said.
He described what he sees as a growing nationalist danger. “Among Israeli Arabs, there is a kind of dangerous terror army that, in one moment, shifts from criminal to nationalist and turns the events of October 7th into small change,” Smotrich warned.
Smotrich said the government has already poured extensive resources into combating crime and now expects results on the ground. “In recent years, we have invested billions to strengthen the police, gave them all the tools, and now it is their turn to collect illegal weapons, eliminate crime and delinquency, and restore security to Israeli citizens. In the Negev, the people of Israel will be tested. In Tirabin, the Israeli police will be tested,” he stated.
Earlier in the faction meeting, Smotrich focused on the diplomatic and military fronts ahead of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump. He said the message Israel must deliver is uncompromising. “The message that needs to be heard there is clear and sharp – the State of Israel will not be able to move to the next stage, neither politically nor security-wise, as long as the body of Ran Givli (may his memory be a blessing) has not been returned to the land of Israel, and as long as the terrorist organization Hamas continues to exist, arm itself, and dream of our destruction. There is no and will be no reality where those who committed the most severe atrocities against the Jewish people since the Holocaust will remain standing. There will be no real ceasefire, and there will be no real security until Hamas is completely dismantled and loses its ability to threaten Israeli citizens.”
Directly addressing Netanyahu, Smotrich urged him not to waver. “We promised a complete victory and we must bring it. This victory is not only about securing our national security, but also about making a statement that will resonate for many years to come: that the Jewish people are not to be messed with, and anyone who thinks about harming us will be destroyed. Mr. Prime Minister, all of Israel stands behind you. Stand firm. Our prayer to the Almighty that Your will succeeds.”
{Matzav.com}
