Yisrael Katz

Yisrael Katz was born on September 21, 1955, in Ashkelon, to parents who had survived the Holocaust; their families had largely perished in concentration camps.[3] He grew up in Moshav Kfar Ahim, a farming community, and attended the Or Etzion religious high school.[8] His family background shaped a deep personal connection to the idea of Jewish statehood: when Katz was first appointed a minister, his father told him, "Today I defeated the Nazis. My son was appointed as a minister in the Government of Israel, in the State of Israel, the state of the Jewish people."[9]

Katz studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, earning a bachelor's degree in international relations; he also began a master's degree in agricultural sciences but did not complete it.[8] While a student in the early 1980s, he chaired the Hebrew University Student Association and, together with fellow student Tzachi Hanegbi, organized opposition to what they characterized as incitement and violence against Israel by Arab students on campus.[3][3] In March 1981, Katz was suspended from the university for one year following his participation in protests that included an incident in which he locked the university rector in his office.[3]

Drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1973, Katz volunteered for the Paratroopers Brigade and served as a soldier and squad leader. After completing officer training in 1976, he returned to the brigade as a platoon leader and was discharged in 1977.[4] Katz later recalled being deployed at Tel al-Shams in the Syrian enclave in the Golan in early 1974, where his unit came under repeated rocket fire.[10] Ynetnews and an N12 profile identify captain as his final rank.[3][11] Unlike several of his predecessors, however, he had not held senior military-command positions when he was named defense minister.[6]

Katz joined Likud in his twenties and established an early political identity through his alignment with Ariel Sharon.[8] Following the First Lebanon War and Sharon's removal as defense minister, Katz founded the "Sharon Camp" within Likud as a vehicle for Sharon's political rehabilitation.[3] He subsequently worked as Sharon's aide at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.[3] He was elected president of the Likud convention twice and chairman of the Likud Secretariat twice, with the most recent secretariat election in 2013, when he defeated Miri Regev by a wide margin.[3]

Katz entered the Knesset in November 1998, replacing Ehud Olmert, and was re-elected in 1999 and 2003.[4] He served on Knesset committees including Finance, Constitution, Law and Justice, and Foreign Affairs and Defense.[11] In February 2003, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Ariel Sharon's government, giving him his first cabinet post.[4] He left the cabinet in January 2006 when Sharon broke from Likud to form Kadima, departing alongside other Likud ministers, and won re-election to the Knesset later that year.[4][8]

After retaining his Knesset seat in the 2009 election, Katz became Minister of Transportation in the Netanyahu government—a role he would hold for close to ten consecutive years, an all-time record for the position.[5] During the preceding decade, nine different ministers had occupied the post.[5] The span of his tenure gave him unusual influence over Israeli infrastructure policy.

Among the most visible developments of his transport years was Israel's railway expansion. The network grew to connect several outlying cities, and Jerusalem was linked to the Tel Aviv area by high-speed rail, though the line did not yet reach Tel Aviv's financial hub and experienced technical difficulties.[9][12] Katz described the railway network in explicitly national terms: at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, he said, "Every railway here is a response to the very railways that led helpless Jews… to their deaths."[9] His mother regarded his appointment as acting foreign minister as "the closing of a circle" in the family's journey from the Holocaust to the leadership of the Jewish state.[9]

The Netivei Israel investment plan included major rail lines connecting northern communities to central Israel, among them the Valley Railway to Beit She'an and the Akko–Karmiel line serving the Upper Galilee.[12] Katz also pursued reforms in civil aviation and ports. In 2013, Israel signed an Open Skies agreement with the European Union after more than three years of negotiations; the agreement was designed to lower air-travel costs by reducing barriers for foreign carriers and increasing the range of destinations available to Israeli travelers.[13] Israeli airline employees and unions protested, warning the deal could damage local carriers, but Katz defended it sharply: "I will not be deterred by threats. It is time we stop letting the monopolies hold the public hostage to the interests of powerful companies."[13] Port reforms during his tenure broke, for the first time, the monopoly held by the Haifa and Ashdod ports.[12]

In July 2009, Katz directed that road signs' English and Arabic place names would use direct transliterations of the Hebrew names rather than existing conventional forms in those languages.[4] Following the 2015 election, his portfolio expanded to include Minister of Intelligence alongside transportation.[4]

Assessments of his transport record are mixed. An INSS analysis placed Katz's tenure within a longer reform period in which improvements in bus service, new infrastructure, and modern railcars helped raise annual passenger journeys from a few million to more than 70 million; it did not attribute that entire increase to Katz.[14] A Globes analysis credited him with nationalizing the Tel Aviv Red Line light-rail project after years of unsuccessful management, but also pointed to significant delays in the Red Line and in the fourth Ayalon track, a critical bottleneck project.[12] The same reporting criticized the absence of long-term national planning and argued that metropolitan transport and congestion relief had not received enough priority.[12] INSS further concluded that Katz maintained centralized control over transportation planning, stopped the establishment of metropolitan transport authorities in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem despite a 2011 government resolution, and treated the National Transport Infrastructure Company as a political asset.[14]

As Minister of Intelligence and Transportation, Katz was also involved in diplomatic outreach to Gulf states. In November 2018, he visited Oman to attend an international transportation conference; his reception was described as a heavily publicized formal diplomatic greeting and was situated within a broader pattern of expanding contacts between Israel and Gulf Arab states.[15]

During his intelligence tenure, Katz promoted an ambitious "Separation Plan" for Gaza centered on an artificial island to be constructed 4.5 kilometers offshore, covering eight square kilometers and connected to the Gaza coast by bridges equipped with checkpoints under international supervision.[16] The proposed island would include a marina and an airport, with an estimated investment of five billion dollars.[16] Katz framed the plan as a way to reduce Israel's day-to-day responsibility for civilian conditions in Gaza. The proposal attracted criticism focused on its feasibility and security assumptions—analysts argued, among other points, that the site would lie within Gaza's territorial waters and that the project could cost between five and ten billion dollars and take as long as ten years to build.[16] The plan did not materialize, and the status quo between Gaza and Israel continued.[3]

Katz came out strongly against the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement during his tenure as intelligence minister, and was counted among the governmental figures who publicly opposed BDS in 2016.[17]

In February 2019, Prime Minister Netanyahu appointed Katz acting foreign minister after a High Court petition challenged the number of ministerial portfolios Netanyahu himself was holding—Netanyahu had retained the Foreign Ministry portfolio since the 2015 elections.[18] In May 2019, Netanyahu named Katz permanent foreign minister, formalizing the earlier acting appointment.[18]

Katz moved quickly to advance diplomatic initiatives. In September 2019, he proposed a non-aggression agreement with Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, in coordination with Netanyahu.[19] He raised the initiative in meetings with Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf Bin Alawi and UAE official Anwar Karkash.[19] The proposal envisioned commitments to maintain friendly relations under UN treaties and international law, and to prevent hostile actions including war, terrorism, violence, and incitement.[19] An Israeli delegation drawn from the foreign ministry, the National Security Council, the defense ministry, and the justice ministry traveled to Washington to advance the proposal, which was framed at the time as a step toward normalization.[19]

On the day of his initial appointment, Katz gave a television interview in which he stated, "Poles collaborated with the Nazis, definitely. As [former prime minister] Yitzhak Shamir said, they suckle anti-Semitism with their mothers' milk."[20] Poland's prime minister called the remarks racist and unacceptable, Poland withdrew from a planned Jerusalem summit of central European countries, and the summit was subsequently canceled.[20]

In a move that drew international attention during his second stint as foreign minister, Katz declared UN Secretary-General António Guterres persona non grata and barred him from entering Israel, citing Guterres's failure to unequivocally condemn Iran's October 1, 2024, missile attack on Israel.[6] He also temporarily served as acting prime minister in late September 2024 while Netanyahu traveled to the United Nations.[6]

Katz served as Foreign Minister from February 2019 to May 2020, after which he became Finance Minister.[4] Following the 2022 election, he was appointed Minister of Energy and Infrastructure under a power-sharing arrangement with Eli Cohen, who served as foreign minister; the two were to rotate portfolios after a year.[4] The rotation occurred in December 2023, and Katz was officially appointed Foreign Minister for the second time on January 1, 2024.[21] The Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs reported that in June 2024 he appointed its fellow Fiamma Nirenstein as the Foreign Ministry's Special Advisor for Combating Antisemitism, a voluntary position.[22]

On November 5, 2024, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing a "crisis of trust," and appointed Katz to replace him.[7] The Knesset approved the appointment on a 58–0 vote; opposition lawmakers boycotted the session.[2] Gideon Sa'ar was simultaneously confirmed as the new Foreign Minister.[2] The appointment came after months of reported tension between Netanyahu and Gallant over the conduct of Israel's multi-front war—including disputes over whether "total victory" over Hamas was achievable, the urgency of securing the hostages' release, and the question of greater military conscription for ultra-Orthodox Israelis.[7][23]

In his first interview as defense minister, on November 21, 2024, Katz identified preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons as his top priority.[24] He declared that military action was both necessary and achievable, stating: "Today, all agencies agree it is necessary—and now, everyone is united in the view that it is possible."[24] He argued that Iran was unusually vulnerable in the wake of Israeli strikes on October 26 that had damaged its air defenses, and that Hezbollah's capacity to retaliate on Iran's behalf had diminished.[24]

On November 13, 2024, Katz and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer provided a formal response to a U.S. letter concerning humanitarian conditions in Gaza, listing steps Israel had taken or planned to take to improve the situation.[7]

Israel's Ministry of Defense identifies Katz as the state's 23rd defense minister.[1] A Congressional Research Service report published on July 2, 2026, listed him as continuing to serve in that role.[25]

The IDF launched Operation Iron Wall in Jenin on January 21, 2025; the operation subsequently expanded to other areas of the West Bank—known by its original, indigenous Jewish name of Judea and Samaria.[26] Its stated aims were to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, prevent its re-establishment, and maintain Israeli operational freedom.[26] Katz ordered the IDF to destroy buildings linked to terrorist activity and emphasized using maximum force to protect communities in the area.[26] The operation displaced approximately 40,000 Palestinians in what was described as the most significant displacement in the region since 1967.[26] Israel's High Court addressed demolitions, the continuing military presence, and conditions for residents' eventual return, and German officials criticized Israel over the displacement.[26]

When Israel resumed attacks on Hamas targets in Gaza on March 18, 2025, Katz warned that Hamas would face the full intensity of the IDF unless it released the hostages.[27] After Hamas fired three rockets at Israel on March 20, he said the military campaign would intensify and threatened that land would be added to Israel if Hamas continued to refuse.[27]

On West Bank policy, Katz ended administrative-detention orders for Jewish suspects while continuing the policy for Palestinians, a decision he reaffirmed in 2026.[28] Media accounts reported that this ran counter to intelligence recommendations to resume detention in some cases involving violent extremist settlers.[28] He also announced a transfer of law-enforcement responsibility for settlers in the West Bank from the IDF to the Israel Police.[28]

Katz visited the Samaria Regional Council and characterized strengthening settlements in northern Samaria as "a clear security interest of the State of Israel," describing the settlement belt there as "Israel's protective belt" alongside council head Yossi Dagan.[29]

In March 2026, Katz announced that Israel planned to establish a security zone in southern Lebanon and maintain security control up to the Litani River.[30] He said homes in Lebanese villages near the border would be destroyed, and that more than 600,000 southern Lebanese residents would be barred from returning to areas south of the river until northern Israeli residents' safety was ensured.[30] By June 2026, Katz stated that Israel would not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza, and that regarding Lebanon, Israel had "no territorial ambitions" but would not withdraw until Hezbollah was disarmed.[31]

In a June 2026 briefing, Katz announced that Israel was investing in offensive and defensive space capabilities, including powerful lasers, with the aim of becoming one of the world's leading military powers in the field.[32] He stated that the IDF had been instructed to prepare for an Israeli-led operation against Iran if Iran attacked Israel with missiles, declaring: "If Iran fires missiles at Israel, Israel will strike Iran with force."[32]

Katz's most established policy legacy remains his record in transportation. His close to ten consecutive years in the ministry set a record for the post, while the period encompassed railway expansion, the Open Skies policy, and reforms that introduced competition into Israel's major ports.[5][12] His supporters and critics alike described him as a forceful minister capable of advancing projects that had previously stalled, although assessments differed sharply over his priorities, management style, and attention to metropolitan public transportation.[14][12]

His broader political significance rests on durability across successive Likud-led governments. Katz has represented Likud in the Knesset since 1998 and has held a succession of senior economic, diplomatic, infrastructure, intelligence, and security portfolios.[1][4] His elevation to the Defense Ministry marked the culmination of that cabinet career while also making his limited senior military background a prominent subject of public discussion.[6][2]

Several episodes in Katz's long career have attracted criticism or legal scrutiny. In March 2007, police recommended indicting him for fraud and breach of trust in connection with political appointments at the Agriculture Ministry during his tenure there; the Central District prosecution subsequently declined to bring charges.[4]

His 2019 remarks about Polish collaboration with the Nazis provoked a diplomatic rupture with Warsaw, resulting in Poland's withdrawal from a Jerusalem regional summit and the summit's cancellation.[20] Polish officials described the statements as racist and unacceptable.

During his university years, Katz was accused of disrupting gatherings and seizing a microphone during a debate. He was acquitted in a disciplinary proceeding but was suspended for one year in 1981 following the incident in which he confined the university rector to his office.[3]

His transport record also remains contested. While major infrastructure and market reforms advanced during his tenure, critics argued that he centralized authority, blocked metropolitan transport bodies in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and gave insufficient priority to congestion relief.[14][12]

As defense minister, Katz's decision to end administrative detention for Jewish suspects in Judea and Samaria while maintaining the policy for Palestinians conflicted with reported intelligence recommendations in some cases involving violent extremist settlers.[28] An INSS analysis also placed his support for settlement expansion in northern Samaria within a broader government policy carrying ideological and political implications beyond its stated security rationale.[29]