Trump opposes Ben-Gvir and Smotrich joining next Israeli government, US sources tell 'Post'

ByIDAN KWELLEROCTOBER 28, 2026 14:13

US President Donald Trump wants an Israeli government without ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, American sources told Walla on Wednesday.

According to the sources, Trump believes settler violence is undermining his regional vision and making it more difficult to implement.

Trump's associates have been updated on the election exit poll results, but the president himself has yet to comment.

Also on Wednesday, Trump addressed the war with Iran, saying it could end whenever he decides.

"It will end very quickly, but we have to make sure it ends the right way," he said.

According to Trump, ending the war requires "an absolute and unequivocal declaration that they will never have nuclear weapons."

Trump described Iran as "the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world."

Exit polls, CEC data show political deadlock

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is currently expected to enter the Knesset with 54 seats, the Central Elections Committee (CEC) announced on Wednesday morning after over four million votes were counted.

Netanyahu's Likud is projected to enter with 27 seats, while United Torah Judaism, Shas, and Otzma Yehudit are expected to enter with seven seats, and the Religious Zionist Party is expected to enter with six seats, respectively.

The opposition bloc, comprising Yashar, B’Yachad, Yisrael Beytenu, and the Democrats, is expected to enter the Knesset with 49 seats, according to data from the CEC.

The Reservists' Party and People of Israel failed to cross the electoral threshold in the exit polls, while celebrations broke out at Likud headquarters following the publication of the results.

Meanwhile, Amcha Yisrael chairman Ofer Winter, whose party failed to cross the electoral threshold in the exit polls, criticized Netanyahu.

Sources close to Winter claimed that the prime minister had "drained our votes" and described the move as a "strategic mistake."

Despite the change bloc's advantage, neither bloc reaches the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority, leaving the possibility of forming a government unresolved.

The election's preliminary results have left coalition negotiations uncertain, with neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition parties appearing to have a clear path to a 61-seat majority. The exit polls also indicated that Arab parties could play a significant role in determining whether a government can be formed.

Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit and Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party-Zehut alliance were projected to win approximately 13 seats combined, making them potentially important partners in any future Netanyahu-led coalition.

The election projections remain preliminary, and the final distribution of Knesset seats will depend on the official vote count.

Keshet Neev contributed to this report.

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