Portrait of Bezalel Smotrich
Politician · organisation
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Bezalel Smotrich on Palestinian Authority

Vocal opponent (strong)

TL;DR

Bezalel Smotrich strongly advocates dismantling the Palestinian Authority and crippling it economically to prevent Palestinian statehood.

Key Points

  • He vowed to economically strangle the Palestinian Authority to actively block its pursuit of statehood.

  • Smotrich called for the complete dismantling of the PA following a terror attack in Jerusalem.

  • He has reportedly held back billions in tax revenues intended for the PA for several months as a punitive measure.

Summary

Bezalel Smotrich maintains an unequivocally hostile position toward the Palestinian Authority (PA), viewing it as an obstacle to Israeli sovereignty and a body that must be dismantled. He has explicitly stated his intention to eliminate the PA's governing structures, a view he has tied to security responses following attacks, calling for its dissolution in those moments. A key component of his strategy involves economic strangulation, with reports indicating he has, at times, held back billions in tax revenues collected on the PA’s behalf to exert pressure and block any progress toward a Palestinian state. He has also threatened severe economic measures, such as ending bank waivers, that he believes could collapse the Palestinian economy as a means to this end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bezalel Smotrich advocates for the complete dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, viewing it as an entity that must be removed from the political landscape. His policy includes using economic pressure, such as withholding funds, to incapacitate the body.

Smotrich's foundational opposition to the PA, rooted in his right-wing ideology, appears consistent; however, his actions, such as withholding funds, are often presented as responses to specific security events or political leverage points.

The Finance Minister has publicly vowed to strangle the Palestinian Authority economically as a strategy to prevent any move toward Palestinian statehood. This economic pressure is a core tool he employs against the PA's existence.