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Trump Says U.S. to End $4 Billion in Aid to Israel at End of Year
Confirmed
In Short: Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman called for Israel's next government to exclude far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman on Sunday urged Israel to exclude far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich from its next government, saying their presence had caused 'enormous reputational damage' to the country.
Speaking at a Tel Aviv conference, Ackman praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his leadership since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, and said a government without Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would signal a 'turning of a new page' for Israel.
Ackman, who owns 5 percent of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and supports Donald Trump's 2024 presidential candidacy, said excluding the two ministers would help Israel rebuild its credibility and improve its relationship with both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S.
As ministers in Netanyahu's coalition, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have overseen policies widely perceived as discriminatory against Israel's minority Arab population and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Ackman's public intervention, which comes from a Jewish investor with a strong understanding of how Israel is perceived in the U.S., highlights the growing tension over Israel's policies among American political leaders.
The Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreement that saw Israel establish relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, are also a key factor in Ackman's call for a new direction in Israel's government.
What this adds
Ackman's intervention underscores the growing debate over Israel's policies among American political leaders, particularly regarding its war in Gaza.
What's confirmed
- Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman on Sunday urged Israel to exclude far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich from its next government, saying their presence had caused 'enormous reputational damage' to the country.
- Speaking at a Tel Aviv conference, Ackman praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his leadership since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, and said a government without Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would signal a 'turning of a new page' for Israel.
- Ackman, who owns 5 percent of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and supports Donald Trump's 2024 presidential candidacy, said excluding the two ministers would help Israel rebuild its credibility and improve its relationship with both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S.
- As ministers in Netanyahu's coalition, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have overseen policies widely perceived as discriminatory against Israel's minority Arab population and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
- Ackman's public intervention, which comes from a Jewish investor with a strong understanding of how Israel is perceived in the U.S., highlights the growing tension over Israel's policies among American political leaders.
- The Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreement that saw Israel establish relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, are also a key factor in Ackman's call for a new direction in Israel's government.
What's still developing
- Nothing material beyond the confirmed record.