Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich held a second meeting in Washington, D.C., on Monday with his American counterpart, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
According to a readout from the Treasury Department, Bessent met with Smotrich to reaffirm the United States’ strong economic ties with Israel.
Bessent was said to have encouraged the right-wing Israeli minister to “fully embrace President Trump’s landmark peace deal” for Gaza and expressed gratitude to Smotrich “for his leadership in Israel.
Bessent also stressed “the historic return of the hostages, and noted the great potential for expansion of the Abraham Accords” normalization deals between the Jewish state and Arab and Muslim nations, it said.
Announcing the visit last week, Smotrich’s office said that the talks were expected to focus on strengthening economic ties between Jerusalem and Washington, as well as future regional economic opportunities.
On March 5, Bessent and Smotrich held what was described as “a highly impactful meeting” in Washington, marking the first in-person meeting between the finance minister and a top Trump administration official.
The invite represented a 180-degree shift in Washington’s approach to Smotrich. The administration of former President Joe Biden boycotted the minister and considered sanctioning him for his right-wing views.
The meeting marked “a significant step in further strengthening U.S.-Israel economic ties,” according to a Treasury Department statement.
The two sides agreed to enhance collaboration in key areas, including economic policy, technology and financial regulation, it continued.
Bessent and Smotrich’s meeting “highlighted the importance of deepening economic cooperation, fostering innovation, and strengthening financial and trade ties,” the department said.
