National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told close confidants that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is "arrogant" and made comments criticizing the minister, Maariv reported on Wednesday.
Ben-Gvir reportedly said, "He [Smotrich] thinks he understands security, economics, and now internal security. The truth is he doesn't understand any of them."
These comments follow the return of the Knesset for winter session. Smotrich, while briefing economic reporters on the budget on Tuesday, was asked about Ben-Gvir's demand for the National Security Ministry budget not to be cut and to instead receive a budget increase.
Smotrich, during this briefing, said that Ben-Gvir had already received a NIS 9 billion increase to his ministry in 2023, and received another NIS 4 billion over the course of the Israel-Hamas War. However, Smotrich criticized Ben-Gvir and his ministry by alleging that the ministry has not shown results, as both crime and terror is on the rise.
In the 2022 Knesset elections, Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party ran on a joint list with Smotrich's Religious Zionist party. Their combined list received a total of 14 seats and entered the Netanyahu-led coalition.
Later in 2022, Ben-Gvir announced that he would split his Knesset faction from Religious Zionism, and came amid coalition negotiations.