Finance Minister and head of the Religious Zionism party, Bezalel Smotrich, has been meeting with leading rabbis of the national religious camp. According to sources close to the minister, cited by Kan, Smotrich held at least five such meetings in the past 24 hours, indicating the seriousness of his intentions.
Sources say the far-right Finance Minister does not intend to wait for the Hamas deal to materialize and will leave the government if he believes it cannot be stopped.
On the evening of June 1, Smotrich spoke out against the deal in the form presented by US President Joe Biden. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir that same evening.
"I spoke with the Prime Minister and made it clear that I will not remain in a government that agrees to the proposed deal and ends the war without destroying Hamas and without returning all the hostages," Smotrich said,
The potential departure of Smotrich from the coalition hangs in the balance, with the possibility of Ben-Gvir following suit. This could lead to the government's collapse and early elections. Yet, these threats by right-wing politicians might also be strategic, designed to pressure Netanyahu and sway their electorate.
