Bezalel Smotrich, Israeli far-right lawmaker and leader of the Religious Zionist Party, speaks during a rally in Sderot on Oct. 26, 2022. (Credit: Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP)
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right figure, said in an interview with Israel's Channel 7 that his son, Benya Smotrich, asked him “not to finish the job in Lebanon, so there would be something left for him to do. I told him 'don't worry, there will be enough for everyone.'"
The remarks circulated widely on X, drawing criticism from users. His son was seriously wounded in southern Lebanon at the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Israeli army, which is attempting to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, has razed entire villages in the South since the start of war.
Smotrich also said he believes the current war “will end with changes to Israel’s borders: in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and of course in Judea and Samaria,” the term used by Israel for the occupied West Bank. He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wrong not to pursue that objective.
Despite highlighting disagreements with Netanyahu on several issues, Smotrich said Netanyahu remains a preferable option to opposition leaders, whom he accused of pursuing “a campaign of capitulation” by calling for a hostage deal with Hamas during the war.
Smotrich has previously advocated expanding Israel’s borders. In April, he said Israel needs “broader and defensible borders” in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, and described Palestinians as “a faction of the Iranian axis,” according to the Jerusalem Post. He also argued that the 1967 lines are “indefensible” because they do not account for geographic and security considerations.
