Betzalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister and a member of the Security Cabinet, has expressed that Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration presents Israel with an opportunity to advance several strategic objectives. These include toppling the Iranian regime, preventing the creation of a Palestinian state, and halting the reconstruction of Lebanese villages near the Israeli border.
“We need to deal with the octopus head and eliminate the Iranian regime,” Smotrich stated during an interview with Bloomberg. “We must join hands on this with the new Trump administration. The Western world cannot afford a dictatorial regime with nuclear weapons which threatens to destroy it.”
Whether Trump would endorse such actions remains uncertain, particularly if they involve U.S. military engagement. Although Trump has demonstrated strong support for Israel and imposed stringent sanctions on Iran during his first term, his close advisors have indicated he may avoid attempting to dismantle the Iranian government or initiate another conflict in the Middle East.
Smotrich further remarked that the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria should encourage Iranians to overthrow their own government. “I say to the Iranians, ‘break the barrier of fear,’ otherwise Israel will have no choice but to squash the Iranian economy, including the oil and energy facilities,” he added.
Commenting on Israel’s economy, valued at $525 billion, Smotrich noted that despite the challenges of war, the country’s economic performance has exceeded expectations. He dismissed predictions suggesting a lackluster recovery in 2025.
In his role overseeing West Bank settlements, Smotrich said the incoming Trump administration “understands the obligation to ensure the future existence of Israel,” which includes rejecting the two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.
Trump, meanwhile, has not recently addressed the issue but previously stated that a Palestinian state “is not in the cards even as part of a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. If that’s a deal breaker, the deal will sink.”
Before the Gaza conflict, Saudi Arabia and Israel were nearing a U.S.-brokered agreement. However, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has since declared that Saudi recognition of Israel depends on progress toward Palestinian statehood.
Regarding Gaza, Smotrich, echoing Netanyahu’s stance, opposes allowing the Palestinian Authority to take control of any part of the region after the conflict ends. Both leaders agree that the fighting must continue until Hamas is dismantled.
Even after Hamas’s defeat, Smotrich insists that “Israel will stay in Gaza for as long as needed, to assure its security.”
On Lebanon, Smotrich argued that Israel should persuade its allies to prevent the reconstruction of damaged homes near the border. “We destroyed those houses so that Hezbollah can’t rebuild its military infrastructure. Any structure used to conceal a tunnel shaft, a bunker, or a missile is considered military infrastructure,” he explained.
Smotrich recently submitted Israel’s 2025 budget to Parliament for approval. “It’s important to me that our partners, investors in Israel and abroad, know our hands are firmly on the wheel,” he stated.
Outside observers remain skeptical. Institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and various financial organizations forecast a larger deficit and slower growth than the finance ministry predicts. “They are misreading the Israeli economy,” Smotrich asserted. He highlighted that the shekel has risen approximately 8% against the dollar since the war began, ranking it among the best-performing currencies tracked by Bloomberg. “The economy’s working much better than might have been expected,” he maintained.
Smotrich acknowledged the absence of 160,000 Palestinian workers, banned from Israel following the Hamas attack. Despite the construction sector’s reliance on this workforce, he ruled out their return. “It will be a difficult year or two but eventually the construction sector will emerge with better building technologies and productivity,” he concluded.
{Matzav.com}