Who is Israel Katz, Israel's new defence minister?

The staunch Netanyahu supporter lacks the military experience of his predecessor Yoav Gallant

Israel's new Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has vowed to adopt a hardline approach. AFP

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In a surprise move, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, citing “trust issues”, and replaced him with close confidant Israel Katz.

Mr Katz, 69, is a Netanyahu loyalist who previously served as foreign minister and is known as a staunch supporter of the prime minister's policies. But the decision to appoint him has raised questions about Mr Katz’s experience in defence matters. Following his appointment, Mr Katz vowed to lead Israel’s defence strategy with a hardline approach.

“We will work together to lead the defence establishment to victory over our enemies and to achieve the goals of the war: the return of all hostages as the most important moral mission; the destruction of Hamas in Gaza; the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon; the containment of Iranian aggression; and the safe return of the residents of the north and south to their homes,” Mr Katz said in a statement.

Born in 1955 in Ashkelon, Mr Katz served as a paratrooper before leaving the military in 1977. Unlike Mr Gallant, a former general, Mr Katz lacks senior military command experience. A member of Mr Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, he was appointed foreign minister in 2019. He has previously served as minister of finance, transportation, energy and agriculture and has been a member of the Knesset since 1998.

Mr Katz has built a reputation for attacking political opponents and critics of Israel's policies and is expected to support Netanyahu’s agenda as the country navigates growing opposition – both domestic and international – amid intensified conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

His tenure as foreign minister was marked by sharp rebukes of world leaders and international organisations, particularly those he viewed as unsupportive of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. He made headlines internationally when he criticised UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for what he saw as his inadequate condemnation of Iranian missile attacks on Israel, and went as far as declaring Mr Guterres “persona non grata”.

He has also spearheaded a campaign against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), claiming it had ties to Hamas. His lobbying efforts recently led to Israel banning the organisation, a move that was met with wide-scale international condemnation. Additionally, Mr Katz had also advocated legal action against French President Emmanuel Macron when France prohibited Israeli companies from participating in a military trade show.