What happened
According to a report by Dawn, prominent American investor and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman publicly stated that far-right politicians Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich should not serve in Israel's next government. Writing on the social media platform X, Ackman asserted that the statements and actions of the two ministers have inflicted severe reputational damage on the country, particularly regarding how Israel is perceived in the United States.
Key facts
- Ackman, the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management who supported Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, stated that forming a cabinet without Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would show Israel is turning a new page. He noted this could restore lost credibility, improve ties with both Democrats and Republicans, and support the expansion of the Abraham Accords—the 2020 agreements that established relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and later Morocco.
- Ben-Gvir and Smotrich serve as ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, overseeing policies regarded as discriminatory toward Arab minorities and West Bank Palestinians. Several nations, including Britain, Canada, and Australia, have placed sanctions on both ministers over accusations of inciting violence in the West Bank.
- In upcoming parliamentary voting, projections show Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party taking around 10 seats and Smotrich's Religious Zionism winning eight seats. Representatives for the two ministers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Why it matters
Dawn reported that Ackman's comments arrived just two days before Israel's general election during a tight contest between Netanyahu's coalition and the opposition. Ackman, who owns a five percent stake in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange with his wife Neri Oxman, had previously praised Netanyahu for his defense of Israel following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed roughly 1,200 people. Nimrod Goren of the Mitvim think tank indicated that Ackman's statement may reflect a desire among Trump allies for Netanyahu to drop far-right parties and form a broad coalition after the vote. However, opposition figures such as Gadi Eisenkot have rejected serving in a government led by Netanyahu. Additionally, thousands of Israelis recently gathered in Tel Aviv to demand an independent inquiry into the October 7 attack.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 26, 2026 · Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash