Minister of Welfare and Social Services Haim Katz of the Likud Party was never worried about criticizing the chairman of his party, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. For quite a few years, Katz warned that the Likud’s lack of compassion about social issues could cost the party the government. Today, however, just half a year after being appointed minister for the first time, Katz has only compliments for Netanyahu.
In an interview with Al-Monitor just before Rosh Hashanah, Katz confides that when he sees the way that Netanyahu conducts discussions and debates in the Cabinet, the Knesset or the Forum of Likud Ministers, he can’t help being impressed with the prime minister’s leadership skills. “I’m not one of those people who is loose and easy with compliments, but I must say that in this term, the prime minister is acting like a leader and standing firm on his principles. I have never heard him like this before. He tells us, ‘This is what I want, because I am responsible for what happens.’ In general, the Netanyahu that we are seeing this term is a very different Netanyahu. This Netanyahu is a prime minister who tries to lead and who realizes that he bears ultimate responsibility for whatever happens. The way I see it, the Netanyahu of this term is a leader.”
