Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week after the Biden administration had refused to meet with him due to his right-wing views.“The Biden administration also boycotted finance minister [Avigdor] Liberman,” Smotrich told The Jerusalem Post.“The Biden administration met with everyone but not with the finance minister of a friendly country. Yet, when they needed me regarding Palestinian Authority matters, they knew how to find me, though, of course, they preferred not to make it publicly known.”
The situation is a complete reversal compared with the previous US administration, he said, adding: “Bessent praised the Israeli economy and said, ‘It’s amazing what you have managed to achieve in a year of war.’ He made it very clear to me: ‘As US treasury secretary, I am committed to Israel’s economic security.’”The Biden administration had made poor decisions for Israel, even on economic matters, adopting policies that lacked any economic logic, Smotrich said.“We discussed the need to correct the mistakes and damage caused by the previous administration,” he said. “The message in the meeting was clear: All doors are open to you. We have established joint working teams.”
AI chips
During their discussions, Bessent said Washington was reevaluating its ban on exporting AI chips to Israel, and that there could be developments on this matter very soon, Smotrich said.
“Don’t be surprised if the policy changes soon,” he quoted Bessent as saying, referring to a Biden administration decision that placed Israel on a restricted list regarding the export of advanced chips.“Biden did not exclude Israel from the ‘close allies’ list for objective reasons,” he added. “It is linked to their criticism of the war.”Smotrich also met with other senior US officials, representatives from banks and investment funds, and members of the American Jewish community.“During my previous visit to the US, these meetings were held behind closed doors – both with the Jewish community and with business leaders,” he said. “Now, with the open embrace of Israel’s finance minister, reflecting a change in leadership’s stance, the tone and visibility of these meetings have shifted as well.”Smotrich said his meetings were not solely focused on economic matters, and he also discussed the Iranian threat and the war in Gaza with senior US officials.“There was a clear and unequivocal statement from everyone: Hamas must be destroyed,” he said.The US administration acknowledged during the visit that it was in direct talks with Hamas to secure the release of hostages. Smotrich said he was not enthusiastic about the move, but at least from the Trump’s administration’s perspective, there is no scenario in which Hamas remains in Gaza.“I don’t have to agree with the Americans on everything, but I see this as a tactical issue,” he said. “I don’t sense a shift in the administration’s stance. Everyone there still considers Hamas a terrorist organization and is committed to its destruction. I didn’t hear any hesitation – only clarity on this issue.”Trump’s plan to relocate Gazans to other countries as part of rebuilding Gaza was also raised in discussions, Smotrich said, adding that encouraging voluntary emigration is the only realistic solution.“It benefits both us and them,” he told the Post. “The president’s plan is moving into practical stages. They are looking for host countries, and the process is in motion. This won’t happen overnight, but it represents out-of-the-box thinking. They also understand that we are too small a country to allow such a threat to grow on our doorstep.”