Billionaire Bill Ackman Urges Israel to Exclude Far-Right Ministers

American billionaire Bill Ackman stated on Sunday that the incoming Israeli government should not include Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, asserting that the far-right politicians have caused immense damage to Israel's reputation. This public intervention by the prominent Jewish businessman comes just two days before Israeli general elections, where polls indicate a tight race between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition and the opposition.

Ackman expressed on X (formerly Twitter) that from the perspective of someone who understands how Israel is viewed in the United States, "Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have caused immense damage to Israel's reputation through their statements and actions." He suggested that a government without these two ministers would signal that Israel is "turning over a new leaf," allowing it to regain lost credibility, increase the chances of expanding the Abraham Accords, and foster better relations with both Democrats and Republicans, as well as Americans in general.

The Abraham Accords, brokered by the first administration of President Donald Trump in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, followed by the reestablishment of official ties with Morocco. Representatives for Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have not yet responded to requests for comment.

As ministers in Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have overseen policies widely seen as discriminatory against Israel's Arab minority and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Several countries, including Britain, Canada, and Australia, have imposed sanctions on the ministers over accusations of inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party is projected to win approximately 10 parliamentary seats, an increase from six, while Smotrich's Religious Zionism party is expected to secure eight seats, up from seven.

Ackman, who visited Israel last week and whose wife Neri Oxman holds a 5% stake in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, has endorsed Donald Trump's 2024 presidential candidacy. Trump last week declared his support for Netanyahu to continue as prime minister.

Nimrod Goren, head of the Israeli think tank Mitvim, suggested Ackman's statement reflects a desire within circles close to Trump for Netanyahu to shed his far-right allies after the election to form a national unity government with opposition parties. However, Netanyahu's main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, and other opposition leaders have ruled out forming a government with the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history.

Ackman had previously praised Netanyahu at a conference in Tel Aviv on Thursday, stating that the prime minister had performed well in protecting and defending Israel since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding an independent investigation into the attack, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths.