Haim Katz
Haim Katz | |
|---|---|
 Katz in 2023 | |
| Ministerial roles | |
| 2015–2019 | Minister of Labor, Welfare and Social Services |
| 2022– | Minister of Tourism |
| Faction represented in theKnesset | |
| 1999–2003 | One Nation |
| 2003–2023 | Likud |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 December 1947 Germany |
Haim Katz(Hebrew:חַיִּים כַּץ,born 21 December 1947) is an Israeli politician. He currently serves as theMinister of Tourism.Katz was theMinister of Labor, Welfare and Social Servicesfrom 2015 to 2019, and served as a member of theKnessetforOne Nationbetween 1999 and 2003, and forLikudbetween 2003 and 2023.
Biography
[edit]Born inGermanyin 1947, Katzimmigratedto Israel in 1949. After finishing school andnational servicehe worked as an electronics technician. He became involved withtrade unionswhen he became a member of the workers' council atIsrael Aerospace Industriesin 1983, and was also chairman of the technicians and engineers' union. In 1993 he became secretary of the National Workers Union of Israel Aircraft Industries, and was appointed chairman of the pension funds policy team of theHistadrutin 1996. Katz founded theOz(Hebrew:עוז,lit. 'Strength') faction within the Histadrut.
Katz lives inShohamand is married with three children. He is also a member of theIsrael Football Association.
Knesset
[edit]In 1999 Katz joined the newOne Nationparty. He was placed second on its list for theelections that year,[1]and was elected to the Knesset when the party won two seats.
Shortly before the2003 election,he defected toLikudand was placed 37th on its list.[2]He was re-elected as the party won 38 seats. As a Likud MK he was appointed Chairman of the Labour, Welfare and Health Committee. He also initiated a bill banning MKs from serving as head of the Histadrut, meaningAmir Peretzhad to resign from his post as Histadrut leader.
In the Likud primaries for the2006 election,Katz gained thirteenth place on the party's list. Likud won only twelve seats and he lost his seat. However, whenNatan Sharanskyresigned from theKnessetin November 2006, Katz replaced him as the next member on the list. He retained his seat in the2009 elections,for which he was placed fourteenth on the Likud list. He was re-elected again in2013and2015,after which he was appointed Minister of Welfare and Social Services in the2015 Netanyahu government.On 15 December 2019 Katz announced that he would support Gideon Sa'ar in theLikud leadership election.[3]
Katz was appointedMinister of Tourismon 29 December 2022. He resigned from the Knesset on 6 January 2023 as part of theNorwegian Law.[4]
On 26 September 2023, Katz became the first Israeli cabinet member to publicly visit Saudi Arabia to attend a UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) conference.[5]
Controversy
[edit]On 9 November 2021, Attorney GeneralAvichai Mandelblitfiled charges against Katz after Katz waived his parliamentary immunity and agreed to a plea deal.[6]In December 2021 Katz admitted and was charged with conflict of interest and conspiracy to achieve a lawful purpose by improper means. He was expected to receive a suspended sentence and financial penalties.[7]
References
[edit]- ^"Parties and Lists".The Jerusalem Post.Archived fromthe originalon 18 April 2001.
- ^"Candidates for the 16th Knesset".Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2003.Retrieved6 April2015.
- ^"Haim Katz: I will support Gideon Sa'ar in Likud primary".The Jerusalem Post.15 December 2016.Retrieved15 December2019.
- ^"חבר הכנסת חיים כץ".Knesset(in Hebrew).Retrieved13 January2023.
- ^"Tourism Min. Katz becomes first Israeli minister to publicly visit Saudi Arabia".Jerusalem Post.26 September 2023.Retrieved26 September2023.
- ^"Likud MK indicted for graft in plea deal, will avoid jail time".The Times of Israel.9 November 2021.Retrieved9 November2021.
- ^Jeremy Bob, Yonah (27 December 2021)."Haim Katz convicted of minor fraud in plea deal, asks for suspended sentence".The Jerusalem Post.Retrieved27 December2021.
External links
[edit]- Haim Katzon the Knesset website
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- 1947 births
- Living people
- 20th-century German Jews
- One Nation (Israel) politicians
- Likud politicians
- German emigrants to Israel
- People from Givatayim
- Jewish Israeli politicians
- Members of the 15th Knesset (1999–2003)
- Members of the 16th Knesset (2003–2006)
- Members of the 17th Knesset (2006–2009)
- Members of the 18th Knesset (2009–2013)
- Members of the 19th Knesset (2013–2015)
- Members of the 20th Knesset (2015–2019)
- Members of the 21st Knesset (2019)
- Members of the 22nd Knesset (2019–2020)
- Members of the 23rd Knesset (2020–2021)
- Members of the 24th Knesset (2021–2022)
- Members of the 25th Knesset (2022–)
- Ministers of labour of Israel
- Ministers of tourism of Israel