Smotrich

Bezalel Smotrich was born in the Golan Heights; he is a resident of Kedumim. He served in the Central Command, is married to Revital and is the father of seven children.

Prominent roles:

• MK (Jewish Home - HaBayit HaYehudi) in the 20th Knesset, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and member of the Finance and Internal Affairs Committees.
• Served as Minister of Transport in Israel’s 34th government; member of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet.
• Director of Operations, Regavim

Bezalel Smotrich began his parliamentary and political career in 2015, when he was elected to the 20^th Knesset on behalf of Habayit HaYehudi. He was in eighth place on the party list and served ias Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and a member of the Finance and Internal Affairs Committees.

In 2021, ahead of elections for the 24th Knesset, when it became clear that his partners in Yamina intended to pull out of the national camp and join forces with left-wing and anti-Zionist parties, Smotrich and Yamina parted ways. As chairman, Smotrich changed the name of his party to the Religious Zionist Party and towards the end of 2021, began to expand its ranks through a democratic process designed to determine its incumbents, while promoting unity within the religious Zionist and ideologically right-wing camp.

Milestones:        

In the 20th Knesset, MK Smotrich was one of the most effective legislators, passing no less than 14 laws. Some of these laws were social ones, such as the Sde Dov Law for Eilat residents;  an amendment to the Consumer Protection Law;  and  the law that raises the retirement age for bereaved parents. In addition there were laws that strengthen the Jewish, democratic and Zionist character of Israel, such as the Hasdara (Regulation)  Law, the Settlement Division Law; the Declaration of Assets Law pertaining to judges and senior civil servants, the Law Prohibiting  Entry of BDS Activists into Israel and the Transparency Requirements for Parties  Supported by Foreign State Entities Law.

In the 34th government, Bezalel Smotrich served  as Minister of Transport and as a member of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet.

Smotrich garnered across-the-board praise for his vigorous efforts as Minister of Transport. He shifted the focus of the ministry's operations and led a policy designed to reduce congestion on Israeli roads, while promoting the development and expansion of public transportation. The projects he advanced included Netiv Plus; Mahir La’Ir, expedited electrification of Israel Railways, and more. In addition, Minister Smotrich included the roads of Judea and Samaria in the calculation of costs of national projects, thus adapting these roads to the standards in the rest of the country.

In 2017, he outlined his political views in the One Hope –Israeli Decision Plan. The plan is based on the premise that terrorism stems from hope, such as the hope that Arabs will be able to achieve a Palestinian state and thus weaken Israel’s hold on Eretz Yisrael.  In the document, Smotrich analyzes the geopolitical situation and explains the most effective way to achieve peace and coexistence in the State of Israel.

Prior to serving in the Knesset, Bezalel Smotrich established and served as the director of operations of Regavim, an extra-parliamentary organization that works to advance Zionist land policy for the State of Israel. Smotrich also served as the director of the Kedumim (Yeshiva) High School and cofounded  the Yeshivot Gvohot Association.