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Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Monday that planning has been completed for the establishment of three new Jewish communities in northern Gaza and said construction could begin immediately if Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu grants final political approval.

The announcement followed a meeting between Smotrich and Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi, during which the minister said the Defense Ministry’s Settlement Authority has finished all necessary preparatory work and is ready to move forward.

“The Settlement Authority in the Defense Ministry, led by me, has completed the staff work, and we are ready to establish three communities immediately, the moment we get the green light from the Prime Minister. I call on the Prime Minister: grant the approval, let’s finish the mission and restore true security for the residents of the south,” Smotrich said.

Smotrich argued that Israel must complete its military objectives in Gaza and maintain a permanent Jewish presence in the area to prevent future attacks. He noted that the IDF currently controls most of the Strip and said that military gains should be followed by civilian settlement.

He added that “the IDF is currently holding nearly 70% of the territory in the Gaza Strip. We have to complete the conquest of the remaining territory, defeat Hamas, and establish a strip of Jewish communities that will serve as a security belt for Sderot and the Gaza envelope communities. Wherever there is no settlement, there is no security. We are not returning to the pre-October 7th reality.”

Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi voiced strong support for the proposal and praised Smotrich for his efforts on behalf of communities bordering Gaza. He recalled urging the minister to continue the military campaign until the threat from Hamas was eliminated.

“Finance Minister, thank you for all you do for the Gaza envelope. I was also one of those who called you and said, ‘Bezalel, fight,’ so that we wouldn’t stop fighting until we remove the threat from Sderot and the envelope. That is the minimum needed for the residents of the area to live securely.”

A senior official in Israel’s State Attorney’s Office has acknowledged that prosecutors may need to reconsider the bribery charge against Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, following renewed comments from the judges presiding over his trial and after hearing Netanyahu’s testimony in court.

In an interview with Kan Reshet Bet, the senior official said the latest remarks by Jerusalem District Court Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman have prompted prosecutors to reexamine their position regarding the bribery allegation in Case 4000.

“The recommendation requires us to recalculate our course. It was made in the past as well, but it carries different significance after Netanyahu’s testimony,” the official said.

Judge Friedman-Feldman’s comments came during a hearing addressing the defense’s request to expand the testimony schedule to five days a week. She noted that the judges’ view has not changed since they first urged prosecutors in June 2023 to withdraw the bribery charge while continuing to pursue the breach of trust allegations in Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000.

“We had not planned to say this, but after hearing the Prime Minister’s testimony, our position, as expressed in June 2023, remains unchanged,” Friedman-Feldman said during a hearing held today on expanding the defense’s witness schedule to five days a week.

The latest developments have fueled renewed speculation that the prosecution could ultimately abandon the most serious charge against Netanyahu, while continuing to pursue the remaining allegations in the long-running criminal proceedings.

{Matzav.com}

The Israel Defense Forces announced that troops have completed the permanent sealing of the massive underground tunnel in southern Gaza where Lt. Hadar Goldin was held after he was killed and abducted by Hamas during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

Goldin, who fell in battle in the Gaza Strip and was kidnapped on August 1, 2014, was finally returned to Israel for burial in November 2025 as part of an agreement that secured the return of Israeli hostages. The IDF said the recovery was made possible through its prolonged military operations throughout Gaza.

Following the recovery of Goldin’s remains, the IDF Southern Command launched a large-scale engineering operation involving the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit and Shayetet 13 naval commandos. During the mission, Israeli forces located the underground passage in southern Rafah where Goldin had been held in recent years.

Over the past three months, engineering units from the Gaza Division, together with Southern Command forces and the Yahalom special operations unit, carried out an extensive project to permanently seal the tunnel network. Stretching for more than 16 kilometers (approximately 10 miles), the tunnel was filled using more than 30,000 cubic meters of concrete, bringing the operation to its successful conclusion.

According to the IDF, the underground complex served as a major Hamas command-and-control center and contained approximately 80 living quarters. It was used by the commander of Hamas’ Rafah Brigade to direct and coordinate terrorist operations.

The military also said the tunnel was constructed beneath densely populated civilian areas near the Philadelphi Corridor, passing underneath a residential neighborhood as well as mosques, kindergartens, medical clinics, a school, and a UNRWA clinic, highlighting what Israel says is Hamas’ longstanding practice of embedding its military infrastructure beneath civilian facilities.

{Matzav.com}

President Donald Trump scored a major constitutional victory Monday after the Supreme Court ruled that presidents have broad authority to remove officials leading independent federal agencies, dramatically expanding executive power and overturning a legal precedent that had stood for more than 90 years.

Reacting to the decision, Trump hailed the ruling as one of the most significant victories for presidential authority in American history.

“BIG WIN just moments ago at the Supreme Court, in the Slaughter Case, confirming Presidential Power in our Country to remove Executive Branch Officers and Agency Appointees, or Representatives, under Article II,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president went on to describe the 6-3 decision in emphatic terms.

“Historic and Unprecedented,” adding that it was “one of the most important ever given with respect to Presidential Powers.”

Trump also celebrated the ruling as a personal milestone for his presidency.

“It is such an Honor to be the sitting President who won this Historic and Unprecedented Ruling,” Trump wrote. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

At the heart of the case was Trump’s dismissal of Democrat Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter in March 2025 over policy disagreements. On Monday, the Supreme Court concluded that the firing was lawful, overturning its 1935 decision in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, which had long restricted a president’s ability to remove certain independent agency officials without cause.

According to Reuters, the ruling wipes away statutory job protections Congress enacted more than a century ago for FTC commissioners and substantially strengthens the president’s authority over executive branch personnel.

Before the Supreme Court intervened, lower federal courts had ruled in Slaughter’s favor, relying on the 1935 precedent that permitted Congress to insulate leaders of independent agencies from dismissal except for reasons such as neglect of duty or misconduct.

The Supreme Court rejected those rulings, holding that Article II of the Constitution grants the president broader constitutional authority to supervise and remove executive branch officials.

The decision is viewed as a major endorsement of the “unitary executive” theory, which has been championed by the Trump administration. That constitutional view maintains that executive power is vested in the president, who must have the ability to remove officials exercising executive authority.

Reuters noted that the justices emphasized their ruling should not be read as applying to the Federal Reserve, which the Court described as occupying a unique historical position distinct from other independent agencies.

The Federal Trade Commission is one of more than two dozen independent federal agencies whose commissioners have traditionally been protected by statutes limiting a president’s removal power.

Legal observers say the ruling could extend well beyond the FTC, potentially affecting agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board, whose members have likewise enjoyed statutory protections against dismissal.

During oral arguments, the Court’s liberal justices expressed concern that expanding presidential removal authority would undermine Congress’ longstanding goal of having politically independent experts oversee areas such as labor policy, consumer protection, and financial regulation.

The conservative majority, however, accepted the Trump administration’s position that the modern FTC exercises significant executive authority and therefore falls within the president’s constitutional power to direct and oversee the executive branch.

The ruling stands as one of the Court’s most consequential decisions on executive power in decades and marks another significant legal triumph for President Trump and his administration.

{Matzav.com}

The Boro Park community and the Gerer kehilla in New York are in mourning following the sudden petirah of Reb Pinchos Lieberman z”l, a widely respected askan and one of the veteran leaders of the chesed organization Bonei Olam. Reb Pinchos suffered a sudden cardiac event and was niftar at the age of 52.

The heartbreaking news spread Monday morning, leaving family members, friends, and countless community members in shock. Known for his tireless dedication to helping others, Reb Pinchos was regarded as one of the most prominent askanim in the Gerer community of Boro Park.

Reb Pinchos was born in London to Reb Reuven Yitzchok Lieberman, one of the distinguished Gerer chassidim in the British capital. Upon his marriage, he wed the daughter of Reb Michel Enden z”l.

For decades, Reb Pinchos was a familiar and beloved presence in Boro Park. He maintained close relationships with the neighborhood’s admorim and was admired for his warm smile, pleasant demeanor, and genuine kindness toward everyone he encountered.

Friends describe him as the embodiment of chesed, quoting the expression, “Shaif ail v’shaif nafik v’lo machzik tivusa l’nafshei“—one who tirelessly toils for others without seeking recognition or credit for himself. Quiet and humble by nature, he devoted himself to helping those in need while avoiding the spotlight.

His contributions to Bonei Olam were especially significant. As one of the organization’s veteran askanim, he played an active and energetic role in countless fundraising campaigns and initiatives, helping bring hope and joy to families facing infertility and other challenges.

His colleagues at Bonei Olam were devastated by the news.

“With broken hearts and bowed heads, we are forced to announce the sudden passing of one of our own, one of the veteran pillars among the askanim of Bonei Olam,” his friends wrote in a heartfelt tribute. “The sun set at midday. He was taken from us in an instant. His radiant smile and his warm, generous heart will be sorely missed in every future campaign and undertaking. Ovad chassid min ha’aretz.”

The levayah is scheduled to take place today at 5:00 p.m. at the Gerer bais medrash, located at 5310 18th Avenue in Brooklyn.

Yehi zichro baruch.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisroel Katz declared Monday that Israel has no intention of pulling back from additional positions in southern Lebanon, insisting that the IDF will remain in place until Hezbollah is fully stripped of its weapons. He also revealed new details about U.S.-Israeli coordination, President Donald Trump’s role in shaping policy, and Israel’s preparations for the possibility of renewed war with Iran.

Reviewing the security situation on Israel’s northern border, Katz said the military has already completed the withdrawals it intends to make and that no additional territory will be relinquished beyond the two pilot areas already established.

“People should not hold their breath wondering where the next place Israel will withdraw from in Lebanon will be-because it will not happen until Hezbollah is disarmed. We have no territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but until Hezbollah lays down its weapons, we will not withdraw even one millimeter.”

Katz also discussed last Friday’s meeting at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv with Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, saying the two agreed on Israel’s continued military posture across several fronts.

“I agreed with him that the IDF will not withdraw from the three security zones-in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.”

According to Katz, Hezbollah entered the conflict under intense pressure from Iran in an effort to reshape the strategic balance with Israel. He said U.S. diplomatic priorities later influenced Israel’s operational approach.

“When President Trump linked Iran and Lebanon, we stopped bringing down buildings in Beirut. Linking the two arenas is an American interest, and those are the constraints of our partnership with the United States. Had Lebanon not been linked to Iran, Hezbollah would have collapsed. We therefore moved to Plan B-expanding the Yellow Line security zone in southern Lebanon.”

Katz disclosed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump held five phone conversations before the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding was finalized. While he participated in the first four discussions, he said the fifth call proved decisive.

“I wasn’t present for the fifth conversation, and the President applied pressure that ultimately resulted in linking the two arenas. From that moment on, civilians returned to southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah also reinforced its presence in the south.”

He also described how Israel ultimately approved the Beaufort military operation after additional consultations between senior leaders when an overnight meeting failed to produce agreement on launching a broader ground offensive. According to Katz, Washington was notified beforehand.

“There were concerns about friction with the United States, but they understood and accepted it.”

Despite international scrutiny, Katz said the campaign in southern Lebanon remains far from complete, with additional Hezbollah infrastructure still slated for destruction.

“We still have tunnels to destroy and demolish-for example, in the Beaufort Ridge, where we will use 500 tons of explosives, just as we destroyed the tunnels in Majdal Zoun overnight. The IDF captured the Ali a-Taher Ridge because of the tunnel threat, but there is no decision to capture Nabatieh. That would require mobilizing additional full divisions. Our objective is to demilitarize the entire Litani area of Hezbollah operatives and weapons.”

Describing conditions along the border, Katz said Hezbollah-controlled communities have been devastated during the fighting. He estimated that nearly every village in the central and western sectors has been destroyed, while roughly 73 percent of homes in the eastern sector have been demolished.

“The way to eliminate threats is to seize territory and destroy infrastructure,” he said.

He added that “200,000 residents of the Yellow Line have not returned to their homes and will not be returning. Warning fire will be used.”

Katz further argued that civilian life has effectively disappeared from those areas because of the war.

“the population is terror,” adding that thanks to the evacuation of civilians and the destruction of infrastructure, “the IDF is now operating in an area with no civilian population.”

While expressing hope that internal Lebanese forces may eventually capitalize on Hezbollah’s weakened position and dismantle the terrorist organization themselves, Katz stressed that Israel will continue occupying key security zones until Hezbollah is completely disarmed. He added that while the demand to remove Hezbollah from the Litani River area is geographic, the requirement that the organization surrender its weapons applies throughout all of Lebanon.

Turning to Iran, Katz warned that the current lull in fighting could end quickly and said Israel remains prepared for renewed conflict.

“There are two scenarios in which fighting will resume – a decision by President Donald Trump or Iranian missile fire. That could happen in two days.”

He said the IDF has already completed extensive preparations for independent military action against Iran, while making clear that Israel will not interfere with the diplomatic efforts currently being led by Washington.

“The IDF is preparing to operate independently in Iran under Operation Blue and White. The IDF is simply waiting for it. We have targets ready to strike in Iran, and the IDF is fully prepared and on alert, but we will not interfere with the President of the United States as he conducts his process with the Iranians.”

Katz argued that Iran’s long-term plans go well beyond missile attacks and include potential invasion scenarios, which he said reinforces Israel’s determination to maintain buffer zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza despite growing international pressure.

“Just the other day, a terrorist cell attempted to infiltrate communities in the Golan Heights, and the cell was neutralized thanks to the security zone,” he said.

Asked whether Israel had hoped to bring about the collapse of Iran’s ruling regime, Katz acknowledged that such an outcome was desired but ultimately did not occur.

“That was always an aspiration, and I wish it had happened. The Mossad did its job and prepared plans, but there were outside factors that did not act, and therefore it did not happen.”

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld Mississippi’s election law permitting mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted for up to five days afterward, delivering a significant legal victory for Democrats and leaving similar ballot-counting procedures intact in numerous other states ahead of the midterm elections.

The Court ruled 5-4 that federal law does not require every ballot to be physically received by Election Day. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Justice Amy Coney Barrett and the Court’s three liberal justices in the majority, concluding that Congress never mandated a ballot receipt deadline tied to Election Day.

Writing for the majority, Barrett emphasized that election administration has historically been left largely to lawmakers rather than the judiciary.

“The Framers recognized the difficulty of crafting election laws ‘applicable to every probable change in the situation of the country,’” Barrett wrote in the majority opinion. “So instead of constitutionalizing election law, they decided that ‘a discretionary power over election’ needed to be lodged ‘somewhere.’”

She added that the Court could not rewrite statutes enacted by Congress.

“Suffice it to say, that power was not lodged in this Court. The election-day statutes say nothing about ballot receipt, and we cannot add to the words Congress chose.”

The dispute, Watson v. RNC, originated from a lawsuit filed in 2024 by the Republican National Committee along with several local Republican organizations challenging Mississippi’s policy of accepting ballots arriving within five days after Election Day, provided they were mailed on time.

The decision could have implications well beyond Mississippi. At least 13 states have comparable grace periods for mail ballots, while nearly 30 states permit certain categories of absentee or mail voters additional time to submit ballots. California has become particularly well known for extended ballot counting, with statewide races often remaining undecided for days or even more than a week after voting concludes.

Barrett also pointed to congressional language as further support for the majority’s interpretation of federal election law.

“The electorate’s choice is made when voting is complete, not when ballots are received,” Barrett wrote. “The most recent amendment to the Presidential election-day statute bears this out. In 2022, Congress inserted the phrase ‘election day’ into that statute and marked that day as a specific Tuesday. It then created an exception: When States ‘modif[y] the period of voting.’”

She continued:

“That Congress defined ‘election day’ with reference to ‘voting’ indicates that ‘voting’ is the act governed by the statute.”

President Trump has consistently argued that ballots should not be counted after Election Day, and his Justice Department supported the Republican National Committee’s challenge to Mississippi’s law.

When the Court heard oral arguments in March, the justices appeared sharply divided over the issue. Several questioned whether invalidating Mississippi’s law might also cast doubt on longstanding early voting practices used across the country.

“It just seems inconceivable that on the basis of this kind of evidence, we would reject these practices that are so entrenched in 30 states,” liberal Justice Elena Kagan said at one point.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson likewise expressed skepticism toward the RNC’s position, suggesting that any changes to election law should come from Congress rather than the courts.

“The worry is that you want this court to decide the case rather than have Congress do it.”

Four conservative justices — Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh — dissented from the ruling. In his dissent, Alito argued that federal law plainly establishes a single Election Day and that ballots arriving afterward should not be included in the final tally.

“If ballots received after election day are added to the set of ballots that dictate the election’s outcome, the electorate’s choice does not occur on election day, and the federal election-day statutes are violated,” he wrote.

Alito also rejected the majority’s interpretation that the law simply requires voters to cast their ballots by Election Day.

“But if that is all that the election-day statutes require, there is no sense in which the electorate as a whole can be seen as making its choice on election day,” he contended.

The ruling comes as President Trump continues urging Congress to tighten federal election laws, including restrictions on mail-in voting and a nationwide proof-of-citizenship requirement for federal elections. Among the measures he has championed is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, legislation that has yet to advance through the Senate.

{Matzav.com}

Despite growing frustration within the chareidi community, voters are still expected to head to the polls in large numbers when Israel next goes to elections, according to Tzuriel Sharon, head of the Direct Polls Institute.

Speaking in an interview on Kol Chai Radio’s Hamahadura Hamerkazis, Sharon analyzed the latest political trends, discussing the balance between the coalition and opposition blocs, the rise of Gadi Eisenkot, the decline of Naftali Bennett, and the outlook for Shas and Yahadut HaTorah.

According to Sharon, Direct Polls’ latest weekend survey gives Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu’s coalition bloc 57 seats. The opposition reaches 63 seats only when the Arab parties are included in the calculation.

“Without the Arab parties,” Sharon said, “neither side is able to form a government.”

Sharon pointed to the continued rise of Gadi Eisenkot, who has surpassed the 20-seat mark for the first time in Direct Polls surveys. However, he believes the former IDF chief’s momentum is nearing its peak.

“For the first time he has reached the 20-seat range,” Sharon said. “In my assessment, he is approaching the ceiling of his growth. I don’t expect the numbers to continue rising dramatically.”

He said Eisenkot’s future prospects will depend on several factors, including the possible addition of Dedi Simchi and Yoaz Hendel to Benny Gantz’s camp, whether Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Lapid ultimately unite, and whether a new right-wing party emerges that could draw moderate right-wing voters back from the center-left.

“I believe that, from the perspective of the center-left bloc, such a merger would actually be less effective electorally,” Sharon said.

Sharon also addressed the weakening position of Bennett and Lapid. He argued that talk of cooperation between the two emerged largely because Bennett’s support had fallen to 11 seats, Eisenkot had overtaken him in the polls, and Lapid was hovering near the electoral threshold.

He also suggested Bennett made a strategic mistake by launching his campaign too early.

“In my opinion, Bennett came out far too early,” Sharon said. “That causes the loss of a tremendous amount of momentum and energy.”

He noted that an effective election campaign generally lasts only two or three months, while the next election is still months away, making it difficult to maintain political momentum through October.

The discussion also turned to the chareidi parties. Direct Polls currently projects Shas with nine seats and Yahadut HaTorah with seven.

Sharon explained that Shas benefits not only from its chareidi base but also from three or four mandates worth of traditional Sephardic voters.

“There is one major player with his eyes on that electorate,” Sharon said. “His name is Itamar Ben Gvir.”

Regarding Yahadut HaTorah, Sharon acknowledged widespread disappointment among chareidi voters with their political representatives but predicted that dissatisfaction would not translate into lower voter turnout.

“There is certainly frustration and anger in the chareidi street,” Sharon said. “But I still believe the chareidim will come out and vote in large numbers in the next election.”

Religious Zionism MK Tzvi Succot issued a stark warning about what he described as a growing security crisis within Israel’s Arab sector, claiming that the amount of illegal weaponry in Arab communities is ten times greater than the arsenal available to the Israel Police. He also sharply criticized the government’s handling of Arab educational institutions, accusing authorities of ignoring incitement while placing disproportionate scrutiny on chareidi schools.

Speaking in an interview, Succot said that during visits to eastern Yerushalayim and Umm al-Fahm, he encountered what he described as deeply troubling conditions within parts of the Arab educational system.

“I saw schools run by Hamas-affiliated organizations, schools that independently organize delegations for the Palestinian Authority, schools operating without licenses while inciting terrorism, and schools that invite designated terrorist organizations to address students,” he said.

Succot argued that the roots of terrorism, crime, and violence begin in the classroom.

“When you ask where crime comes from, where terrorism comes from, where violence comes from—it all begins with education,” he said.

According to Succot, the government continues to fund institutions that, in his view, fail to educate students toward loyalty to the State of Israel or cooperation with law enforcement, while avoiding meaningful enforcement measures.

“Dozens of schools in eastern Yerushalayim alone are operating without licenses and are inciting terrorism,” he claimed.

The lawmaker also addressed the broader issue of organized crime and illegal weapons, praising the work of the Israel Police while arguing that officers lack the necessary tools to confront the problem effectively.

“I have to say that, based on what I’ve seen, the police are doing an excellent job. The problem is that they simply don’t have the tools,” Succot said.

He then cited what he described as an alarming statistic.

“The amount of weaponry currently in the Arab sector is ten times greater than the amount of weapons in the hands of the Israel Police. That’s an unbelievable figure. It has already become an existential threat to the State of Israel.”

Succot warned that if violence similar to the disturbances during Operation Guardian of the Walls were to erupt again, Israel could face an unprecedented internal security challenge.

“If, chas veshalom, there is a Guardian of the Walls II tomorrow, I’m not aware of a single body in the State of Israel that is seriously preparing for such a scenario,” he said.

He argued that confronting the threat will require stronger legislation, tougher enforcement, and expanded powers for Israel’s security agencies.

During the interview, Succot was also asked about the controversy surrounding Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich’s recent assertion that his policies were responsible for the return of the hostages.

Succot defended Smotrich, saying the minister had opposed hostage deals that would have required Israel to make strategic concessions.

“We were the ones who stood firm,” Succot said. “Smotrich was the one who came forward and said, ‘There will be no surrender.’”

According to Succot, only after Hamas and the United States realized Israel would not agree to end the war on Hamas’s terms did an acceptable agreement become possible.

“When they understood there would be no surrender, and the Americans understood there would be no surrender, then there was a deal that brought everyone home without surrender,” he said.

He added that the IDF continues to operate freely throughout Gaza and maintained that Hamas has been unable to rebuild its military capabilities.

Looking ahead to Israel’s next election, Succot warned against efforts to divide the right-wing bloc, arguing that political opponents view internal divisions as the key to defeating the current coalition.

“The Left’s strategy in these elections is ultimately to split the right-wing camp,” he said. “Its goal is to sow hatred, division, and polarization within the right.”

He claimed that substantial resources would be invested in promoting such divisions.

Succot concluded by urging unity despite internal disagreements.

“We have to remain strong and understand that there are disagreements—of course there are—but we also have to remember the bigger picture,” he said.

“If the right-wing camp fractures, we will lose the government. In the end, they will trample both us and the chareidim.”

Former hostage Or Levy launched a scathing attack Sunday evening against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich following remarks the minister made earlier in the day, accusing him of obstructing hostage deals and declaring that, had Smotrich’s policies prevailed, the hostages would still be in captivity.

Levy’s criticism came after Smotrich said in an interview that “thanks to” his policies, all of the hostages who have been freed so far had returned home.

In an unusually blunt social media post, Levy wrote:

“If, when you say ‘thanks to you,’ you mean that hostages were murdered while you torpedoed hostage deals, then yes. That’s what gaslighting propaganda is called. If it had been up to you, we still wouldn’t have come home today—for you, we’re collateral damage to your madness. I’ve said it before, and this time I’ll shout it: Bezalel Smotrich, you are a disgrace as a minister, a disgrace as a citizen, and a disgrace as a human being.”

Levy’s comments were a direct response to Smotrich’s appearance on journalist Nadav Perry’s podcast on the All In network, where the finance minister argued that his steadfast approach had been responsible for securing the release of the hostages who have returned from Hamas captivity.

The exchange follows previous public criticism by Levy of Smotrich. About two months ago, Levy condemned the minister after Smotrich said that forming a government with Mansour Abbas was “more serious than the October 7 massacre.”

Levy called that comparison “the cheapest and lowest thing that can be done.”

Reflecting on the October 7 attacks, Levy said they represented “perhaps the greatest disaster that has ever happened to us as a country—not only because it happened to me, but objectively as well.”

He continued by expressing outrage that, less than three years later, people were already minimizing the tragedy.

“And who’s minimizing it?” Levy asked. “Bezalel Smotrich.”

Levy went on to criticize the minister’s role in government, saying, “This is a minister in a government that’s supposed to protect us and keep us safe, and who wants to run again in another 170 days. When these things come from within our own home, what will people abroad say? What will Europeans say? They’ll say it never happened. Is that what we need—denial of October 7? Because ministers in our own government are the first to suggest it wasn’t a massacre. So how can we expect the world to stand with us? And if it’s not even considered a national tragedy, then it’s all just a mistake. Of course I’m furious.”