Key Takeaways
- • Bill Ackman, billionaire hedge fund investor, urged Israel's next government to exclude far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, arguing both have caused Israel significant reputational damage.
- • Ackman posted the call on X two days before Israel's October 27 election, stating a government formed without the two ministers would signal that Israel is "turning a new page."
- • Ackman said such a government could help Israel rebuild credibility, expand the Abraham Accords, and improve relations with both U.S. parties; he did not endorse a prime ministerial candidate.
- • Polls showed Gadi Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party narrowly ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud, though neither side has a clear path to the 61 seats needed for a governing majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
Summary
Billionaire hedge fund investor Bill Ackman called on Israel's next government to exclude far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, days before Israeli voters head to the polls, according to The Hill. Ackman argued that both ministers have damaged the country's international reputation.
In a post on the social platform X, Ackman wrote that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich "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." Ackman, a prominent supporter of Israel, said he was offering his view as someone with an understanding of how Israel is perceived in America, noting that the ministers' controversial positions are often portrayed internationally as reflecting the views of Israelis more broadly.
Ackman said a government formed without Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would signal to the world that "Israel is turning a new page." He added that this would allow Israel to rebuild lost credibility, increase the opportunity for an expansion of the Abraham Accords, and enjoy better relations with Democrats, Republicans and Americans at large. He stopped short of endorsing a candidate for prime minister, saying that choice should be left to Israeli citizens.
The comments come two days before Israel's October 27 election, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking another term against challengers led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who heads the centrist Yashar party. Recent polls have shown Eisenkot's party narrowly ahead of Netanyahu's Likud. However, neither side has a clear path to the 61 seats needed to form a government in the 120-member parliament, and no single party has ever won a majority.
Netanyahu has emphasized his close relationship with President Trump, who endorsed him, and the threat posed by Iran. Ben-Gvir, who leads the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, and Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionism party, have both drawn international criticism over their extremist views on Palestinians and Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
In a post on the social platform X, Ackman wrote that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich "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." Ackman, a prominent supporter of Israel, said he was offering his view as someone with an understanding of how Israel is perceived in America, noting that the ministers' controversial positions are often portrayed internationally as reflecting the views of Israelis more broadly.
Ackman said a government formed without Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would signal to the world that "Israel is turning a new page." He added that this would allow Israel to rebuild lost credibility, increase the opportunity for an expansion of the Abraham Accords, and enjoy better relations with Democrats, Republicans and Americans at large. He stopped short of endorsing a candidate for prime minister, saying that choice should be left to Israeli citizens.
The comments come two days before Israel's October 27 election, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking another term against challengers led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who heads the centrist Yashar party. Recent polls have shown Eisenkot's party narrowly ahead of Netanyahu's Likud. However, neither side has a clear path to the 61 seats needed to form a government in the 120-member parliament, and no single party has ever won a majority.
Netanyahu has emphasized his close relationship with President Trump, who endorsed him, and the threat posed by Iran. Ben-Gvir, who leads the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, and Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionism party, have both drawn international criticism over their extremist views on Palestinians and Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
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