Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attacked Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, describing him as "arrogant" and "ignorant of security and economic matters," Hebrew media reported on Wednesday.

The private newspaper "Israel Hayom" said on Wednesday that Ben Gvir (far-right) conveyed to those close to him his dissatisfaction with Smotrich (far-right).

Ben-Gvir said: "Smotrich is very arrogant, and he thinks he knows about security and economics, and now he understands internal security (...) and in reality he does not understand anything."

The Hebrew newspaper attributed Ben-Gvir's dissatisfaction with Smotrich to a statement the latter made to journalists a few days ago, in which he criticized Ben-Gvir's demand to double the National Security Ministry's budget to 20 billion shekels ($5.4 billion).

Smotrich considered that Ben Gvir is demanding to double his ministry's budget without achieving any results.

The private newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that an argument between Ben-Gvir and Smotrich took place in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office last September.

The newspaper added at the time that the argument "ended in a fight and blame," explaining that "Ben Gvir presented during his meeting with Netanyahu a plan to build 5,000 new detention places, and demanded a special budget for the project," but Smotrich shouted at him, demanding that he use the money in his ministry first before requesting a new budget.

The current dispute between Smotrich and Ben-Gvir comes despite both of them belonging to far-right parties; the former leads the Religious Zionism party, and the latter leads the Jewish Power party.

Both parties adopt extremist policies, including hostility towards Arabs and Palestinians, and the promotion of Israeli settlement in the occupied territories.

In recent months, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have taken hardline positions, including refusing to stop the genocide in Gaza, calling for the starvation of the Palestinians in the Strip, taking measures to annex the occupied West Bank, and reducing the rights of Palestinian prisoners.