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Israel's new defense minister outlines his goals in office
Israel Katz said he would seek the repatriation of Israeli hostages, the defeat of Hamas and Hezbollah and a blockade of Iran. He previously served as Foreign Minister, replacing Defense Minister Gallant, who was fired by the prime minister.
Israel's new Defense Minister Israel Katz has called victory over Israel's enemies his goal and wrote about it in a post by X.
"We will work together to lead the security system, defeat our enemies and achieve the war goals. The most important mission is to achieve the war goals, including the return of all abductees, the destruction of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the establishment of a deterrent system. "We call for Iran's invasion and the safe return of the people of the North and South to their hometowns," he said.
Katz has served as Foreign Minister since 2019. He was born in Ashkelon in 1955 and graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1998, he became a member of the National Assembly of Israel. He is a member of the Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Since 2003, he has held the following positions in the government:
Netanyahu fired former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing a loss of trust. He said Gallant made decisions and statements inconsistent with the government's position, and that Israel's enemies benefited from these inconsistencies.
"In the first months of the war, there was trust and very fruitful work was underway. But in recent months, this trust between me and the Minister of Defense has been shaken," the politician said.
After his dismissal, the former minister wrote to X that Israel's security has always been and will remain the "meaning" of his life. Before joining the National Assembly and the government, he served in the army for almost 40 years and became defense minister in late 2022.
Three months later, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to fire Gallant after the military chief criticized the prime minister's judicial reforms. However, Netanyahu changed his mind and kept Gallant in his position, saying he wanted to put the dispute with him "behind him."
The United States was surprised by Netanyahu's decision to fire Gallant, Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported in X, citing sources. In comments to Ravid, a White House National Security Council spokesman said Gallant was "an important partner on all matters related to Israel's defense" and that the United States would continue to work with the new defense secretary.