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Knesset approves appointments of Katz, Sa’ar as top ministers

Israel Katz became the Jewish state’s defense minister, while Sa’ar assumes the role of foreign minister.

Israel Katz
Then-Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, now the defense minister, waits in Jerusalem for the arrival of British Foreign Minister David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné on Aug. 16, 2024. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

The Knesset on Thursday night approved the appointment of Israel Katz as defense minister, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Yoav Gallant from the position earlier this week.

The legislature also approved Gideon Sa’ar’s appointment to replace Katz as the Jewish state’s foreign minister.

The Knesset voted 58-0 in favor of the appointments, with opposition lawmakers boycotting the session.

Netanyahu’s firing of Gallant was legal, Israel’s attorney general informed the country’s High Court on Thursday.

In a statement released by his office on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that the issue was a loss of trust between himself and Gallant.

“Defense Minister Gallant and I had substantial disagreements on the management of the military campaign, disagreements which were accompanied by public statements and actions that contravened the decisions of the Cabinet and the Security Cabinet,” said Netanyahu.

The Israeli defense minister first unveiled the plan in late December 2025.
The contested text describes Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack as a “genocide” and states that Israel is a “colonial enterprise built on racism.”
Israel does not have a formal written constitution and Basic Laws have quasi-constitutional status.
The Board of Deputies said that the action “will better enable the authorities to protect our community and others from the threats this organization presents.”
European foreign ministers had gathered in Brussels to discuss a possible ban on imports of goods.
A group led by Rear Adm. Guy Levy met with American and global counterparts, and visited Annapolis to advance cooperation and cadet exchanges.