Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 27, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleIsraeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich will meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington next week to discuss financial relations.
By Steven Scheer
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a right-winger kept at arms length by Washington under former President Joe Biden, will meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington next Wednesday, Smotrich's spokesman said on Thursday.
Smotrich went to Washington in March 2023 to meet with leaders of Israel's U.S.-based government bonds programme but did not meet any officials from Biden's administration.
The pro-settler Smotrich had clashed with Biden officials, including then-Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, over aid and banking arrangements for the Palestinian territories.
Smotrich has praised President Donald Trump, including over a decision to lift sanctions imposed under Biden against Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Peter Graff)
The main topic is the upcoming meeting between Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Bezalel Smotrich is the Israeli Finance Minister known for his right-wing views and previous clashes with US officials.
The meeting signifies a potential shift in US-Israel financial relations, especially after previous tensions during the Biden administration.
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