Chaos in Israel’s Finance Ministry

Israel’s Finance Ministry is in a state of chaos, and the atmosphere there is pretty grim. The economists are feeling completely disconnected from the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who seems to be living in a different world. He’s not giving them the time of day, preferring to spend hours with other ministers and groups, trying to find ways to divert coalition funds for their benefit. This is all happening despite the ongoing war and the urgent needs of over 126,000 internally displaced Israelis. It’s clear that Smotrich’s top priority is the Haredi-ultranationalist base, and he’s willing to neglect the pressing issues facing the country for their sake.