Trump Advisors Seek Israeli Unity Cabinet Without Ben-Gvir and Smotrich

Bill Ackman, the hedge fund manager and prominent supporter of President Donald Trump, called for the formation of a moderate Israeli unity government on Sunday that excludes National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Ackman argued in a social media post that such a cabinet would allow Israel to restore its international standing and expand the Abraham Accords. He stated that the current ministers harm Israel's global image and its ability to achieve key diplomatic goals.

Several senior advisors to the president share this view. They believe that a government without Netanyahu's far-right partners would make it easier to advance the administration's regional policies over the remaining two years of Trump's term. A primary objective is a historic normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia, which officials consider difficult to achieve while Ben-Gvir and Smotrich remain in the cabinet.

Tensions already exist between Washington and Jerusalem on several fronts. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are reportedly frustrated by the pace of Israel's implementation of the Gaza plan. Special Envoy Tom Barrick disagrees with Israel's strategy regarding Syria, while officials around Secretary of State Marco Rubio seek to strengthen the Lebanese government and address violence in Judea and Samaria. These friction points raise the importance of Israel's next government composition for achieving diplomatic breakthroughs.

Some within Trump's circle have proposed a rotation-based unity government. Under this concept, Benjamin Netanyahu would serve as prime minister for the first year, followed by another leader to handle negotiations with Saudi Arabia. Proponents believe this arrangement provides governance continuity while entrusting regional diplomacy to a prime minister not dependent on current right-wing partners. Netanyahu has reportedly told Trump that he wants to form a unity government after the upcoming election.

Israel's Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, confirmed that Netanyahu prefers a national unity government over continuing with the current coalition. Leiter stated that Netanyahu made it clear he would not serve as national security minister again. These comments drew a sharp reaction from Otzma Yehudit, whose officials fear Netanyahu is paving the way for a coalition with Gadi Eisenkot. Ben-Gvir called on Netanyahu to form a right-wing government instead.

Despite these internal discussions, Trump has not formally endorsed the initiative. The president publicly backed Netanyahu on October 18, though Vice President JD Vance did not join that endorsement. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denied that the administration is pushing for a unity government, stating that the US does not intervene in Israeli elections. American officials have not yet conducted detailed feasibility talks with opposition leaders Eisenkot or former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, both of whom remain opposed to serving under Netanyahu.

Electoral scenarios present further obstacles. If Netanyahu's bloc secures 61 mandates, he would receive the mandate to form a government, but it remains doubtful whether Eisenkot or Bennett would join. Ultra-Orthodox parties demand the passage of a conscription bill as a precondition for coalition talks. If the right-wing bloc fails to secure a majority, Netanyahu may not get the first chance to form a government, complicating the proposed unity framework.