not everywhere· Politics· Updated 14:33

Billionaire Bill Ackman Urges Exclusion of Ben-Gvir, Smotrich From Next Israeli Government

American Jewish billionaire investor Bill Ackman publicly advised Israel on Sunday to exclude National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from its next government. Ackman stated that the move would significantly improve Israel's international standing and help rebuild its lost global credibility.

3 newsrooms · 2 languages · since 11:11

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Billionaire Bill Ackman Urges Exclusion of Ben-Gvir, Smotrich From Next Israeli Government — Illustration by baba

What happened

01Billionaire investor Bill Ackman advised Israel on Sunday to exclude Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich from its next government.
02Ackman stated that the statements and actions of the two ministers have caused immense reputational damage to Israel globally.
03He noted that global media outlets frequently portray Ben-Gvir and Smotrich as representing the voice of all Israeli citizens.
04Ackman suggested that a government without them would signal a new page, helping Israel rebuild its lost international credibility.
05The investor believes this political shift could improve relations with U.S. political parties and expand Arab normalization agreements.
06Ackman clarified that he is not endorsing a prime ministerial candidate, stating that decision belongs solely to Israeli voters.
07National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has previously argued that international diplomacy must not come at the expense of Israeli soldiers.

In a post on X, Ackman clarified that he was not endorsing any specific prime ministerial candidate, as that choice belongs solely to Israeli voters. However, he shared his perspective on how Israel is perceived in the United States, arguing that the public statements and actions of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have caused immense reputational damage. He noted that global media often portrays the two ministers as representing all Israeli citizens.

According to Ackman, forming a government without them would signal that Israel is turning a new page. This shift could foster better relations with both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S., improve ties with the American public, and help expand normalization agreements with Arab countries. Both ministers have faced international criticism for their extremist views, though Ben-Gvir has previously stated that while diplomacy is important, it should not come at the expense of Israel's soldiers.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 15:33

Latest report: The Jerusalem Post. Read The Jerusalem Post’s original