Israeli Fin. Min. Smotrich quits Netanyahu regime

Israeli Channel 12 reported on Monday that Smotrich resigned in a letter to Netanyahu.

A spokesperson for Smotrich said the resignation was a protest against ultranationalist-Zionist Jewish Power party head Itamar Ben-Gvir's request for more ministerial positions upon his return to join the regime again. Ben-Gvir had quit the Netanyahu regime in January.

Smotrich will return to his seat in the Knesset as a lawmaker for his far-right Religious Zionism party.

The resignation will not collapse Netanyahu's coalition regime, but it will increase problems for it.

The move highlights growing fractures within Israel’s far-right coalition, which has faced internal divisions on key appointments and policies in recent months.

In January, Ben-Gvir, along with his entire party, resigned from Netanyahu’s ruling coalition over the Gaza ceasefire agreement.