Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich shared that he initially decided to resign following the October 7 massacre, but remained in office after his father urged him to stay and help lead the country through the war.
Finance Minister Smotrich Reveals He Considered Resigning After October 7 Massacre
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich disclosed Monday that he had intended to resign from his position following the October 7 massacre, marking the first time he has publicly shared this deeply personal response.
Speaking at an online conference hosted by the Noam-Tzvia educational network, Smotrich said he was overwhelmed by a sense of responsibility in the aftermath of the attack. “It takes about two months to get into some sort of emergency routine, and then the terrible and excruciating stomach pains start,” he said. “I ask myself, ‘How did this happen under my watch, under our watch?’”
“And I try to dig, and dig, and dig, and I don’t understand. Like everyone else,” Smotrich continued, mentioning the protests he had been a part of in the past: “I was beaten up in eighth grade when we protested against Oslo, I was detained by the Shin Bet in the Gush Katif struggle, and it was clear in my throat – ‘Don’t give them guns, and don’t leave Gush Katif,’ which they tried to prevent. And for years we shouted that Hamas isn’t deterred and that we could succeed in conquering the Gaza Strip.”
Smotrich added that he spoke with his father and considered resigning: “I’ll tell you the truth – there was a point where I called my father and asked him to come. My father, my teacher and mentor, I told him, ‘Dad, I’m leaving,’ because if I did soul-searching and find something – it’s not that there isn’t something to fix, because I’m not that righteous. But now I look at national accounts, if I could understand where I went wrong, resulting in this great duty under my watch, I could fix it, but I can’t find it. So something is wrong, I’m leaving, I can’t continue. And my father supported me, and we continue to fight the war.”
He revealed that his decision to resign was ultimately reversed after a conversation with his father.
Smotrich’s comments offer a rare glimpse into the emotional toll carried by Israel’s leadership since the October 7 tragedy.
