Yisrael Katz (politician born 1955)
Yisrael Katz (Hebrew: ישראל כץ, born 21 September 1955) is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud and as Minister of Transportation and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy.
Biography
Born in Ashkelon, Katz earned a BA and an MA at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
He won 34th place on the Likud-Gesher-Tzomet list for the 1996 elections, but missed out on a place in the Knesset when the alliance won only 32 seats. However, he entered the Knesset in November 1998 as a replacement for Ehud Olmert. He was re-elected in 1999 and 2003, and was appointed Minister of Agriculture in Ariel Sharon's government in 2003. Katz left the cabinet in January 2006 after the Likud-Kadima split, and was re-elected in the 2006 elections.
In 2007, the Israel Police recommended indicting Katz on charges of fraud and breach of trust linked to political appointments at the Ministry of Agriculture during his tenure as minister.[1]
Katz retained his seat again in the 2009 elections after winning eleventh place on the Likud list, and was appointed Minister of Transportation in the Netanyahu government.[2] He was re-elected again in 2013 and remained Minister of Transportation in the new government.
Placed fourth on the Likud list,[3] he re-elected again in 2015, after which he was appointed Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy in the new government, as well as remaining Minister of Transportation.
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