State of play: Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of the Jewish supremacist Religious Zionism list that is part of Netanyahu’s bloc, is expected to demand he be appointed defense or finance minister, according to several press reports.
U.S officials told Axios they are particularly concerned Smotrich will get the defense minister post. It’s unclear whether the Biden administration will work with Smotrich, who has a track record of making racist, anti-Arab and anti-LGBTQ comments.
Earlier this week, Smotrich shocked many in the Israeli defense establishment when during a speech, he echoed a radical right-wing conspiracy theory by claiming the Israeli Shin Bet intelligence service “encouraged” Yigal Amir to carry out the assassination of former Prime Minister Itshak Rabin.
Smotrich supports building settlements and annexing the West Bank, refuses to call settlers who attack Palestinians “terrorists,” and has called for more forceful action by the Israeli military in the West Bank.
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