{
  "id": 16898071,
  "title": "Trump opposes Ben-Gvir and Smotrich joining next Israeli government, US sources tell 'Post'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/trump-opposes-ben-gvir-and-smotrich-joining-next-israeli-government",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-28T12:46:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-913116"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "American President Donald Trump has expressed a preference for an Israeli government that does not include ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, according to US sources. Trump perceives their involvement as a hindrance to his regional vision and the implementation of policies, sources told the Walla news outlet on Wednesday. While the president has been briefed on election exit poll results, he has not commented publicly on the matter. On Wednesday, Trump spoke about Iran's ongoing conflict, stating that it could conclude swiftly with proper resolution. He emphasized the necessity of an unequivocal assurance from Iran that it will never acquire nuclear weapons, describing the nation as \"the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world.\"\n\nThe current projected Knesset composition, based on exit polls, places Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition at 54 seats. Likud is expected to secure 27 seats, while United Torah Judaism, Shas, and Otzma Yehudit are forecasted to gain 7 seats, and the Religious Zionist Party is anticipated to obtain 6 seats. The opposition coalition, consisting of Yashar, B’Yachad, Yisrael Beytenu, and the Democrats, is anticipated to achieve 49 seats. The Reservists Party and People of Israel did not surpass the electoral threshold, and celebrations erupted at Likud headquarters upon the announcement of the results.\n\nHowever, the shift in dynamics may complicate coalition negotiations. Neither the Netanyahu bloc nor the opposition parties appear to possess a clear path to achieving the required 61 seats for a majority government. Additionally, Arab parties could play a crucial role in deciding the formation of a government. The exit poll projections suggest that Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit and Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party-Zehut alliance together could hold approximately 13 seats, potentially making them valuable allies in any future coalition led by Netanyahu. Nonetheless, these projections are still preliminary, and the final seat distribution will depend on the official vote count.",
  "summary": "According to the sources, Trump believes settler violence is undermining his regional vision and making it more difficult to implement.",
  "key_points": [
    "US President Donald Trump opposes Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich joining Israeli government.",
    "Trump sees their inclusion as hindrance to regional vision and policies.",
    "Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit and Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party-Zehut could hold 13 seats."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/16898071.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Middle East Eye",
        "title": "‘Without the Arabs!’: Israeli politicians urges government excluding Palestinians",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/without-the-arabs-israeli-politicians-urges-government-excluding",
        "published": "2026-10-28T12:35:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Times of Israel",
        "title": "Flydubai attack survivors say Israeli government has left them high and dry",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/flydubai-attack-survivors-say-israeli-government-has-left-them-high",
        "published": "2026-10-28T13:22:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}