Bill Ackman urges Israelis to exclude far-right ministers ahead of elections

Billionaire hedge fund investor Bill Ackman called for Israel’s next government to exclude far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich days before Israeli voters head to the polls, arguing that both have damaged the country’s international reputation.

“Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have caused Israel enormous reputational damage with their statements and actions which are presented in the global media as representing the voice and will of all Israelis,” Ackman wrote in a post on the social platform X .

Ackman, a prominent supporter of Israel, said he was adding his perspective as “someone who has an understanding of how Israel is perceived in America,” saying their controversial positions are often portrayed internationally as reflecting the views of Israelis more broadly.

“As such, a government formed without Ben-Gvir and Smotrich will send a message to the rest of the world that Israel is turning a new page,” he continued. “This will allow Israel to rebuild lost credibility, increase the opportunity for an expansion of the Abraham Accords, and enjoy a better relationship with Democrats and Republicans and Americans at large.”

Ackman stopped short of endorsing a candidate for prime minister, saying the choice should be left to Israeli citizens.

His comments come two days before Israel’s election on Oct. 27, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking another term against a field of challengers led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who heads the centrist Yashar party.

Recent polls have shown Eisenkot’s party narrowly ahead of Netanyahu’s Likud, though neither side has a clear path to securing the 61 seats needed to form a government in Israel’s 120-member parliament, nor has a single party ever won a majority in the parliament.

Netanyahu has emphasized his close relationship with President Trump, who endorsed him, and the threat posed by Iran. Ben-Gvir, who leads the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, and Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionism party, have both drawn international criticism over their extremist views on Palestinians and Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.