Israel Katz

Israel Katz ( Yisrael Katz, born 21 September 1955) is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for Likud, now minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water. He was a member of the Security Cabinet of Israel. Katz has previously served as Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Intelligence, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance. Biography Israel Katz was born in Ashkelon. His parents Meir Katz and Malka ((Nira) nee Deutsch) were Holocaust survivors from the region of Maramureș, Romania. He was raised on Moshav Kfar Ahim. He was drafted into the Israel Defense Force in 1973 where he served in the Paratroopers Brigade as a soldier and squad leader. In 1976 he completed Officer Candidate School and returned to the Paratroopers Brigade as a platoon leader. After his discharge in 1977, he studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and graduated with a BA and an MA . In the early 1980s, he was chairman of the students' union. In March 1981, he was suspended for a year over his participation in a protest against Arab violence on campus that included locking the rector, Raphael Mechoulam, in his room. Katz is married and has two children. Political career Katz 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.