Key Takeaways
- • Bill Ackman called on Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich to be excluded from the next Israeli government, citing "enormous reputational damage" to the country.
- • The statement was published on X on a Sunday, ahead of Tuesday's Knesset election.
- • Ackman argued that a coalition formed without the two ministers would signal to the world that Israel is "turning a new page."
- • Ackman, a prominent Jewish hedge fund manager and pro-Israel advocate, said removing the ministers could help restore Israel's credibility in the US across the American political spectrum.
Summary
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has called for Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, to be excluded from Israel's next government, according to The Jewish Chronicle. In a statement published on X on Sunday, Ackman warned that the far-right ministers have significantly harmed Israel's international reputation.
Ackman, who is Jewish and an outspoken advocate for Israel, wrote that the two men "have caused Israel enormous reputational damage with their statements and actions, which are presented in the global media as representing the voice and will of all Israelis." His comments were made ahead of Tuesday's Knesset election.
Ackman argued that a government formed without Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would send a message to the rest of the world that Israel is "turning a new page." He suggested that excluding the two ministers from whatever coalition emerges could help restore Israel's credibility in the United States and improve its relationships across the American political spectrum.
The intervention comes from a prominent figure in the alternative investment industry, though the statement addresses Israeli domestic coalition politics rather than investment matters.
Ackman, who is Jewish and an outspoken advocate for Israel, wrote that the two men "have caused Israel enormous reputational damage with their statements and actions, which are presented in the global media as representing the voice and will of all Israelis." His comments were made ahead of Tuesday's Knesset election.
Ackman argued that a government formed without Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would send a message to the rest of the world that Israel is "turning a new page." He suggested that excluding the two ministers from whatever coalition emerges could help restore Israel's credibility in the United States and improve its relationships across the American political spectrum.
The intervention comes from a prominent figure in the alternative investment industry, though the statement addresses Israeli domestic coalition politics rather than investment matters.
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