Speaking on Ynet's “120 and One” podcast, hosted by journalist Moran Azulay, Smotrich backed a coalition of parties in the national camp and opposed a government joining different political blocs. Amid polls that the interviewer said gave neither camp more than 60 seats, he repeated his objection to including Mansour Abbas's Ra'am. Smotrich alleged that Abbas's public statements did not reflect his real intentions; this is the politician's accusation, not an established fact. Smotrich said, however, that he would support appointing Arab Zionist Yoseph Haddad as a minister and added that he was not opposed to Druze Israelis.
Smotrich criticized reserve Brigadier General Ofir Winter's decision to run separately. He called it irresponsible, predicted the list would almost certainly fail to cross the electoral threshold and urged voters not to waste their ballots. He said the result could be a left-wing victory and the establishment of a Palestinian state. Smotrich also defended a campaign video depicting government legal adviser Gali Baharav-Miara as if she were being dragged at a demonstration. He accused the judiciary, including Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, of blocking decisions and appointments sought by the right.
His strongest proposals concerned the West Bank. Smotrich called for a military campaign modeled on Israel's operations in Gaza, the defeat of armed groups, weapons collection and dismantling the Palestinian Authority. He said three refugee camps had already been emptied after residents were evacuated, and that the army should eliminate armed infrastructure, weapons and tunnels; he also called for restrictions on vehicles after a recent ramming attack. These are Smotrich's political proposals, not an approved operational plan. Regionally, he said he wanted Israeli control extended at least to Gaza's so-called Yellow Line and to the Litani River in Lebanon.
On October 7, Smotrich accepted collective responsibility as a member of the government in office at the time and said he would carry it with him. He gave the cabinet high marks for its conduct after the attack, citing pressure inside Israel and from the Biden administration. He said both of his sons served in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria and that one was seriously wounded; he also mentioned the service of Ron Dermer's son and the death of Gadi Eisenkot's son. Smotrich said he might have challenged the pre-attack policy of maintaining calm more forcefully.
As finance minister, he connected security policy to the budget. He opposed open-ended spending increases and said the military should improve efficiency; he cited five billion shekels as money that could otherwise fund hospitals each year. Smotrich also said he had cut income tax and hoped to reduce corporate tax, crediting savings, spending cuts and efforts against the shadow economy.
On the Galilee and Negev, Smotrich focused on crime, extortion and illegal weapons. After a party meeting in Majd al-Krum, he cited Shin Bet figures alleging more than one million illegal weapons and over a thousand machine guns; the interview did not independently verify those numbers. He proposed involving the Shin Bet, imposing tougher minimum sentences and treating illegal arms as a national-security threat. He also said he wanted changes to land and planning policy to expand Jewish settlement. These are campaign pledges; Ynet's report does not establish whether they would be implemented.