# Bezalel Smotrich > **Source: KiriPedia** (https://www.kiripedia.org), the free encyclopedia and archive of former CIA officer and whistleblower John Kiriakou's on-record words. Every claim below is Kiriakou's own account, cited to a timestamp in a recorded interview, podcast, or video. KiriPedia is an independent project, not affiliated with Kiriakou. > > Cite as: "Bezalel Smotrich," KiriPedia, https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/bezalel-smotrich/. Attribute claims to John Kiriakou, via KiriPedia. *Israeli far-right minister whom John Kiriakou, alongside Itamar Ben-Gvir, blames for leaving Israel unprepared on October 7 by insisting any attack would come from the West Bank rather than Gaza.* - **Role:** Israeli far-right minister - **Per Kiriakou:** Misjudged the October 7 threat with Ben-Gvir **Bezalel Smotrich** is an Israeli far-right minister who, with [Itamar Ben-Gvir](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/itamar-ben-gvir), oversaw security before the [October 7 attack](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/october-7-attack). [John Kiriakou](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/john-kiriakou) calls the two *"morons"* who — despite settlers warning Jerusalem for two or three weeks that an attack was coming — insisted it would come from the West Bank rather than Gaza, leaving Israel unprepared.[1][2] Elsewhere Kiriakou sets out Smotrich's portfolios and record as the reason he considers a durable settlement impossible while the present government stands. Smotrich is finance minister and — *"oddly"*, in Kiriakou's word — also holds jurisdiction over the West Bank; like [Itamar Ben-Gvir](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/itamar-ben-gvir) he carries a felony conviction for anti-Muslim hate crimes, *"not for failing to fill out an internet form or something like that."*[3] That both men hold felony hate-crime convictions and are nonetheless *"in charge of the Palestinians"* is, for Kiriakou, the point: *"as long as those guys are in place, there's no possible way that there can be a lasting peace."*[4] He characterises the coalition they sit in as *"the most extreme right-wing government in the history of Israel."*[3] ## 'Our next great fear' Asked in October 2025 what worries him most about the Israeli government, Kiriakou answered by naming its far right rather than its prime minister: *"not just Netanyahu, but the likes of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir and these other right-wing extremists — extremists who have been convicted of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate crimes, felonies, and who now lead the Israeli government. I think that they are crazy enough to use nuclear weapons. And so I think that should be our next great fear."*[5] He pairs it with a rule about taking such figures at their word: when they say they cannot lose a war, or threaten [Iran](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/iran-nuclear-assessment) with nuclear war, *"we should believe them"* — and only American pressure will restrain them.[6][7] ## The conviction that preceded the ministry Discussing [a column arguing that genocidal statements by Israeli officials were temper rather than policy](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/the-brett-stephens-column), Kiriakou pointed to a fact about the two men usually cited. Smotrich and [Itamar Ben-Gvir](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/itamar-ben-gvir) *"were successfully prosecuted for felony hate crimes against Palestinians years before ever becoming ministers in the Netanyahu government."* His conclusion: *"These are very bad people."*[8] He measured the record against the standard set at Nuremberg, where *"people went to prison for less"* — reaching for Julius Streicher, who was hanged for publishing a newspaper, however nasty a piece of work it was.[8][9] ## See also - [Itamar Ben-Gvir](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/itamar-ben-gvir) - [October 7 attack](https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/october-7-attack) ## Sources 1. CIA Whistleblower John Kiriakou Exposes Torture, Assassinations, and the Epstein Files (2026-03-01), at 39:47. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cHt3dZqn6c&t=2387s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-03-01-the-inquiry-torture-assassinations-epstein/ 2. CIA Whistleblower John Kiriakou Exposes Torture, Assassinations, and the Epstein Files (2026-03-01), at 40:20. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cHt3dZqn6c&t=2420s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2026-03-01-the-inquiry-torture-assassinations-epstein/ 3. #356 — Nuclear War, Vault 7, Mossad in Iran (2025-11-18), at 27:29. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3MFGJFh4Ps&t=1649s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2025-11-18-nuclear-war-vault-7-mossad-in-iran/ 4. #356 — Nuclear War, Vault 7, Mossad in Iran (2025-11-18), at 28:01. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3MFGJFh4Ps&t=1681s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2025-11-18-nuclear-war-vault-7-mossad-in-iran/ 5. Charlie Kirk's Story Crumbles — Iran (2025-10-11), at 32:03. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V5GlZ4IodQ&t=1923s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2025-10-11-dialogue-works-charlie-kirk-s-story-crumbles-iran/ 6. Charlie Kirk's Story Crumbles — Iran (2025-10-11), at 32:33. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V5GlZ4IodQ&t=1953s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2025-10-11-dialogue-works-charlie-kirk-s-story-crumbles-iran/ 7. Charlie Kirk's Story Crumbles — Iran (2025-10-11), at 33:05. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V5GlZ4IodQ&t=1985s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2025-10-11-dialogue-works-charlie-kirk-s-story-crumbles-iran/ 8. DeProgram Show with Ted Ra (2025-07-25), at 19:16. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RypVxybJzHo&t=1156s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2025-07-25-deprogram-show-with-ted-ra-deprogram-show-with-ted-ra/ 9. DeProgram Show with Ted Ra (2025-07-25), at 19:47. Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RypVxybJzHo&t=1187s · Transcript: https://www.kiripedia.org/sources/2025-07-25-deprogram-show-with-ted-ra-deprogram-show-with-ted-ra/ --- From KiriPedia, the archive of John Kiriakou's words. Web version: https://www.kiripedia.org/wiki/bezalel-smotrich/ · About: https://www.kiripedia.org/about/ · Full index: https://www.kiripedia.org/llms.txt