Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was dismissed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening, prompting a vacancy in a significant ministerial position. Shortly after the decision, it was announced that Foreign Minister Israel Katz would take on the role of defense minister, pending government and Knesset confirmation.
Shortly after his appointment, Katz thanked Netanyahu on his X/Twitter account on Tuesday evening. He stated, "I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for the trust he placed in me in appointing me to the position of Defense Minister."
"I accept this responsibility with a sense of mission and holy respect for the security of the State of Israel and its citizens."
אני מודה לראש הממשלה נתניהו על האמון שהעניק לי במינוי לתפקיד שר הביטחון.אני מקבל את האחריות הזו בתחושת שליחות ובחרדת קודש למען ביטחונה של מדינת ישראל ואזרחיה.נעבוד יחד להצעיד את מערכת הביטחון לניצחון מול אויבינו ולהשגת יעדי המלחמה: השבת כל החטופים כמשימה הערכית החשובה ביותר,…
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) November 5, 2024
"We will work together to advance the security system to victory against our enemies and to achieve the goals of the war: the return of all the hostages as the most important mission, the destruction of Hamas in Gaza, the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the curbing of Iranian aggression, and the safe return of residents of the North and South to their homes," Katz stated.
What is Katz's background and experience?
Katz is a veteran MK of the Likud and a supporter of Netanyahu and his governing coalition.
He was born in 1955 in Ashkelon and holds a Bachelor's degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry website.
Katz drafted into the IDF in 1973 and served as a paratrooper, serving until 1977. Unlike several of his predecessors, including Gallant, Katz has not served in any senior military command positions, such as IDF Chief of Staff or commander of Northern or Southern Commands.
Previous ministerial posts, including stint as foreign minister
Katz has served in the Knesset since 1998 and has held various positions on committees and ministerial posts in Likud governments.
Katz has previously served as Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Transportation Minister, Finance Minister, and most recently, Foreign Affairs Ministry, a position he served in both in 2020 in the 35th government and more recently in the current government, since 2024.
He became the 22nd Foreign Minister of Israel in January 2024, replacing Eli Cohen in a power-sharing agreement approved by the Knesset. Cohen replaced Katz as Israel's Energy and Infrastructure Minister.
Katz also temporarily replaced Netanyahu as prime minister in late September 2024 when Netanyahu visited and spoke at the United Nations.
As foreign minister, Katz declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres 'persona non grata' and banned him from Israel.
Katz stated that the ban on entry was due to Guterres's failure to "unequivocally condemn" Iran's missile attack on Israel on October 1, 2024. He also criticized Guterres's stances on the Israel-Hamas War and consequent developments in the Middle East, including his failure to denounce the October 7 Massacre.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in July, Katz explained how Israel has managed to inflict significant damage and cause a strategic shift within Hamas during the ongoing war.
Katz addressed the hostage deal negotiations and the pressure that Israel has put on Hamas has caused the terror group to understand that "there will be no ceasefire without a hostage deal."
He also supported the initial IDF entry into Rafah in a bid to put further pressure on Hamas, he told the Wall Street Journal.
"I sat with foreign ministers, and they told me, ‘Don’t go to Rafah, don’t go to Rafah. It’ll be a mess.’ And I told them, ‘What are you saying? You believe that we can leave Hamas in Rafah, and so five minutes after we withdraw, they will take all of Gaza?’”
Elaborating on Western reactions and the continuing pressure on Hamas, Katz said that in order for there to be a hostage deal, the head of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, must "understand that he doesn’t have any other choice."
Katz also addressed the Iran threat and the Islamic Republic in his interview, describing the country to be "like an egg: hard on the outside but soft on the inside. From the inside, most of the people in Iran are against the regime. The economy is weak, still weak. And after we saw the helicopter crash, maybe the Iranian army is not so modern.”
“Press Iran. If you want to prevent war, the way to prevent war is to pressure Iran and explain to Iran what the cost will be," Katz explained.
Katz's penchant for AI
Katz, like several political figures, is a frequent user of X/Twitter. However, the incoming defense minister is known for posting several AI-generated photos depicting political and terrorist leaders opposing Israel. These include AI depictions of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei within an egg and the caption: "Iran is like an egg: hard on the outside and soft on the inside."
Iran is like an egg: hard on the outside and soft on the inside.Most of the public is against the regime, and the economy is in a difficult state. Global sanctions and damage to key energy and economic sectors will severely harm the Ayatollahs' regime.@khamenei_ir pic.twitter.com/IlvUjqFDov
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) September 26, 2024
Other tweets show AI-generated versions of former Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
.@RTErdogan continues to throw the Turkish people into the fire of hatred and violence for the sake of his Hamas friends.Today, he calls on Islamic nations to form an alliance against Israel, claiming "Israel wants to conquer countries in the region, including Turkey." This is… pic.twitter.com/jh5biai7vr
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) September 7, 2024
Eliav Breuer, Tovah Lazaroff, and Reuters contributed to this report.