Israel Katz

Israel Katz is a politician not of dramatic moments but of seniority and delivery, and on JudgeMarket the public's verdict on him rests on the depth of his career more than on any single defining moment. A Likud member of the Knesset since 1998, he held a long line of portfolios — agriculture, transportation, intelligence, finance, energy and, twice, foreign affairs — before he was appointed defense minister in November 2024, after the prime minister fired Yoav Gallant. His years at the Transportation Ministry left a tangible record of roads, railways and ports reform, and to Likud supporters he is a reliable doer. His tenure at the Defense Ministry has coincided with the 12-day war with Iran in June 2025, the Gaza ceasefire of October 2025, under which the hostages came home, and the renewed campaign against Iran in 2026; he presents it as a shift in security doctrine and a move to an offensive policy aimed at defeating the enemy, and in September 2026, responding to criticism from the right, he declared that the IDF was ready to restart the war in Gaza the moment the order was given. His critics point to his repeated clashes with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over senior appointments, such as announcing in a television interview the replacement of the head of Central Command without coordinating with him. He did not run in the Likud primary: the party's court approved a reserved slot for him, and he is placed sixth on the list for the October 27 election — a move that drew criticism from within the party as well. His standing is bound up with the fate of the bloc and the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu, and because he is seen more as a loyal implementer than as a leader with an independent base, it would take a decisive strategic decision on his watch or a rise in the Likud hierarchy to change the public's assessment of him.