Why did Bezalel Smotrich temporarily quit the Israeli government?

Smotrich resigned in order to become an MK again under the Norwegian Law, which enables a few ministers to resign their positions as MKs to fully focus on their roles as ministers.

 Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at the Knesset. January 21, 2025. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at the Knesset. January 21, 2025.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich resigned temporarily from the government on Friday in order for Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kreuzer to leave the Knesset. 

Smotrich is set to return to his role as Finance Minister on Monday following a vote in the Knesset plenum. 

Smotrich resigned in order to become an MK again under the Norwegian Law, which currently enables between three to five ministers or deputy ministers per party to resign their positions as Knesset members in order to focus fully on their roles as ministers.

Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism had a technical bloc during the election, which is why each party's resignations affect the others' Knesset members.

Smotrich's decision comes days after Ben-Gvir and his party resigned

Several Otzma Yehudit MKs, including its party head, former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, submitted resignation letters last Sunday after the security cabinet approved the hostage ceasefire deal, as they had previously promised if the deal was approved.

 An illustrative image of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST/Yonatan Zindel/Flash90 )
An illustrative image of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST/Yonatan Zindel/Flash90 )

The party's statement that was issued in conjunction with their resignation described the deal as "reckless" and that it "represents a disgraceful surrender," noting that the deal releases many Palestinian prisoners "with the blood of men, women, and children on their hands."

Alongside Ben-Gvir, Ministers Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Amichai Eliyahu also resigned, as well as Otzma Yehudit MKs who are not ministers, including Zvika Fogel, Limor Son Har-Melech.

A few days before the Otzma Yehudit MKs resigned, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli was the first minister from the Likud Party to threaten resignation over the hostage deal.

Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.