Mr. Amalek

Bezalel Smotrich, an Israeli far-right politician and lawyer, has served as Israel's Minister of Finance since 2022. Smotrich is a settler residing in Kedumim, a settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which is considered illegal under international law. In fact, his own residence was reportedly built illegally outside the settlement’s designated property.

During the protests against Israel's disengagement from Gaza in 2005, Smotrich was arrested with 700 liters of gasoline, suspected of being part of a plot to blow up the Ayalon Highway, one of Israel’s major roads. According to former Shin Bet deputy chief Yitzhak Ilan, who personally interrogated him, Smotrich was detained for three weeks but refused to speak. He was ultimately not charged with any crime.

In addition, Smotrich co-founded Regavim, an NGO that monitors and takes legal action against construction by Palestinians and Arab communities in Israel and the West Bank, especially those built without Israeli permits. Ironically, Smotrich’s own home is located outside Kedumim’s official boundaries, built on land that’s neither state-approved nor part of the settlement's master plan.

All of this information comes from reports in The Times of Israel.