Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sacked the country's Defense Minister Yaav Galant. Israel Katz has been appointed in his place. Netanyahu said that he no longer trusts Galant's management of Israel's military operations, including the ongoing war in Gaza and Lebanon.

Let us tell you that Israel is currently fighting a war on seven fronts, the most important of which is the action against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Netanyahu has appointed Foreign Minister Israel Katz as Defense Minister in place of Galant. Who is Foreign Minister Israel Katz, let us tell you some important things related to him.

Who is Israel's new Defense Minister Katz?

Born in 1955 in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon, Katz was drafted into the army in 1973 and served as a paratrooper, leaving the service in 1977. He has not held any senior military command positions, unlike his predecessor Galant, who was also a general before becoming defense minister in 2022.

Katz, a member of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, has been a member of the Knesset (parliament) since 1998. In the Knesset, served on a number of committees, including those covering foreign affairs, defense and justice.

Katz has held several ministerial positions over the past two decades, including the departments of agriculture, transportation, intelligence, finance and energy. He was appointed foreign minister in 2019.

As foreign minister, Katz declared Antonio Guterres persona non grata in October after he said the UN secretary-general had failed to unequivocally condemn Iran’s missile attack on Israel, calling it anti-Semitic and anti-Israel behavior.

Also in October, he ordered his ministry to launch legal proceedings against French President Emmanuel Macron after Paris banned Israeli companies from taking part in an upcoming military naval trade show.

Katz has been a low-profile figure in Israel-US relations during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's 11 visits to Israel since October 7 last year. The US diplomat has had only a few meetings with Katz, while Blinken regularly met with Gallant.

Katz studied at the Hebrew University of Israel as an undergraduate and postgraduate. He is married and has two children.