The new Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, was sworn in on the night of Thursday to Friday in front of Parliament. His appointment comes two days after the surprise dismissal of his predecessor, Yoav Gallant. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ousted Gallant over differences over the handling of the war in Gaza. Israel Katz, until then Minister of Foreign Affairs, promised to defeat the country's “enemies”.
A complicated last day as foreign minister
Yoav Gallant's departure sparked a strong reaction across Israel, including protests. The sacked minister had expressed differences with Netanyahu, particularly regarding the recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army, a sensitive subject at the heart of the current political debate. Gallant had also expressed his opposition to a bill allowing these groups to benefit from exemptions from military service, which had jeopardized the unity of the government coalition.
Israel Katz, who succeeded Gallant, took up his new position in the middle of the war. The minister assured that he would do everything to strengthen the country's security. Katz's last day as foreign minister was marked by a diplomatic incident. French gendarmes were briefly arrested by Israeli police at a site that French Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was to visit in Jerusalem.
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“The Minister of Soldiers and Fighters”
In the Knesset, the Israeli opposition led by Yaïr Lapid took the floor to urge Israel Katz to be “the minister of soldiers and fighters”. Lapid also called on Katz to oppose the bill on military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews, a particularly sensitive subject, especially in the midst of war. This bill deeply divides Israeli society and the government, and Yoav Gallant had already shown himself reluctant to support it before his ouster.
