Haim Katz

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Haim Katz
חַיִּים כַּץ
Katz in 2023
Ministerial roles
2015–2019Minister of Labor, Welfare and Social Services
2022–Minister of Tourism
2025Minister of National Security
2025Minister of Heritage
2025Minister of Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee
Faction represented in the Knesset
1999–2003One Nation
2003–2023Likud
Personal details
Born (1947-12-21) 21 December 1947 (age 77)
Germany

Haim Katz (Hebrew: חַיִּים כַּץ; born 21 December 1947) is an Israeli politician.[1] He currently serves as the Minister of Tourism. Katz was the Minister of Labor, Welfare and Social Services from 2015 to 2019, served as the Minister of National Security, Minister of Heritage and Minister of Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee in 2025, and served as a member of the Knesset for One Nation between 1999 and 2003, and for Likud between 2003 and 2023.

Biography

Born in Germany in 1947, Katz emigrated to Israel in 1949. After finishing school and national service with the rank of master sergeant, he worked as an electronics technician. He became involved with trade unions when he became a member of the workers' council at Israel Aerospace Industries in 1983, and was also chairman of the technicians and engineers' union. In 1993 he became secretary of the National Workers Union of Israel Aircraft Industries, and was appointed chairman of the pension funds policy team of the Histadrut in 1996.[2] Katz founded the Oz (Hebrew: עוז, lit. 'Strength') faction within the Histadrut.[3]

Katz lives in Shoham[4] and is married with three children. He is also a member of the Israel Football Association.[2]

Knesset

In 1999 Katz joined the new One Nation party. He was placed second on its list for the elections that year,[5] and was elected to the Knesset when the party won two seats.[citation needed]

Shortly before the 2003 election, he defected to Likud and was placed 37th on its list.[6] He was re-elected as the party won 38 seats. As a Likud MK he was appointed Chairman of the Labour, Welfare and Health Committee. He also initiated a bill banning MKs from serving as head of the Histadrut, meaning Amir Peretz had to resign from his post as Histadrut leader.[citation needed]

In the Likud primaries for the 2006 election, Katz gained thirteenth place on the party's list. Likud won only twelve seats and he lost his seat. However, when Natan Sharansky resigned from the Knesset in November 2006, Katz replaced him as the next member on the list. He retained his seat in the 2009 elections, for which he was placed fourteenth on the Likud list. He was re-elected again in 2013 and 2015, after which he was appointed Minister of Welfare and Social Services in the 2015 Netanyahu government. On 15 December 2019 Katz announced that he would support Gideon Sa'ar in the Likud leadership election.[7]

Katz was appointed Minister of Tourism on 29 December 2022. He resigned from the Knesset on 6 January 2023 as part of the Norwegian Law.[8]

On 26 September 2023, Katz became the first Israeli cabinet member to publicly visit Saudi Arabia to attend a UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) conference.[9]

On 23 January 2025, he was appointed as interim minister for the Ministry of National Security, Heritage Ministry, and Ministry for the Development of the Periphery, the Negev and the Galilee, for a temporary term of three months after their previous ministers—Otzma Yehudit MKs Itamar Ben-Gvir, Amihai Eliyahu, and Yitzhak Wasserlauf—resigned from their positions in protest of the 2025 Israel–Hamas war ceasefire. Katz also joined the Security Cabinet.[10] Two months later, the three portfolios were given back to Otzma Yehudit after they rejoined the government.[11]

Controversy

On 9 November 2021, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit filed charges against Katz after Katz waived his parliamentary immunity and agreed to a plea deal.[12] In December 2021 Katz admitted and was charged with conflict of interest and conspiracy to achieve a lawful purpose by improper means. He was expected to receive a suspended sentence and financial penalties.[13]

References

  1. ^ Alon, Amir (10 February 2025). "For first time since 2022, Arab lawmakers meet with acting national security minister to tackle soaring homicide rates". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Haim Katz, MK". embassies.gov.il. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Haim Katz". m.knesset.gov.il. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  4. ^ Alon, Amir (14 January 2018). "Disabled protests: protesters preparing to spend night outside welfare minister's home". Ynetnews. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Parties and Lists". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 18 April 2001.
  6. ^ "Candidates for the 16th Knesset". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2003. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Haim Katz: I will support Gideon Sa'ar in Likud primary". The Jerusalem Post. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  8. ^ "חבר הכנסת חיים כץ". Knesset (in Hebrew). Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Tourism Min. Katz becomes first Israeli minister to publicly visit Saudi Arabia". Jerusalem Post. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  10. ^ Sokol, Sam (23 January 2025). "Tourism Minister Haim Katz tapped to run all 3 of Otzma Yehudit's former ministries". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  11. ^ Sokol, Sam (20 March 2025). "Ben Gvir reappointed police minister as Knesset okays his party's return to government". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  12. ^ "Likud MK indicted for graft in plea deal, will avoid jail time". The Times of Israel. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  13. ^ Jeremy Bob, Yonah (27 December 2021). "Haim Katz convicted of minor fraud in plea deal, asks for suspended sentence". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 27 December 2021.