{
  "id": 849145,
  "title": "Israel Katz and the Likud are ‘boom-boom-booming’ politics away – opinion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/israel-katz-and-the-likud-are-boom-boom-booming-politics-away-opinion",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-14T07:52:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-905432"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The video featuring Israel Katz, the Israeli Defense Minister, showcases the insidious nature of Israeli party politics. Katz, a prominent right-wing figure, appears in the video declaring himself as the first real right-wing defense minister in the country's history. However, his primary focus is not on national security matters, but rather attending the bar mitzvahs and weddings of Likud activists and political power brokers.\n\nThis behavior comes as a result of a recent request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who exempted Katz from competing in the Likud primaries due to his busy schedule. Despite Israel's ongoing security challenges and manpower shortages, Katz has been seen attending numerous celebrations of Likud activists and political power brokers, even when it conflicts with important national security meetings.\n\nThe ethics of these actions are questionable, as Katz, a defense minister responsible for overseeing the IDF, misses critical security cabinet meetings for these events. Moreover, one of the invited guests, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, is a convicted criminal who served time in prison for attempting to bribe a senior police officer. This raises concerns about the state of Israeli politics, where loyalty to the party and its operators is prioritized over the fulfillment of one's duties and the well-being of the nation.\n\nThe situation is also prevalent on the opposition side, with Naftali Bennett, the former Prime Minister, experiencing a decline in his support. He once led the polls with over 20 seats but is now hovering around the low teens. Bennett, in an effort to regain support, has shifted his campaign style and held \"political living-room conversations\" with longtime Netanyahu supporters, trying to explain why they should consider voting for him.\n\nThis phenomenon extends beyond the Likud party and is a reflection of the broader Israeli political landscape, where loyalty to the party and its operators is of utmost importance, often at the expense of national security and ethical conduct.",
  "summary": "Regardless of who is competing in Israel’s upcoming elections, what must remain a top priority is to keep an eye on which politician intends to do what with the power bestowed upon them.",
  "key_points": [
    "Prime Minister Netanyahu exempted Katz from Likud primaries due to Katz's busy schedule.",
    "Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, a convicted criminal, was invited to a Likud event, raising ethical concerns."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The scramble for party loyalty and votes is eroding standards in Israeli politics, where national security and ethics are compromised for personal and party gain.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}