Defense Minister Katz Accused of Political Misuse of Ministry Resources

Israel's Democratic Party has sent a legal warning to Defense Minister Israel Katz, accusing him of improperly using the Defense Ministry's press office for political campaigning, in violation of the law. The complaint stems from a press release distributed via the "Defense Minister's Office Messages" WhatsApp group, which is typically used for security-related announcements.

The controversial message quoted Defense Minister Katz stating, "Defense Minister Israel Katz: Benny Gantz, the designated defense minister of the left bloc, declares this morning that Mansour Abbas, who has not agreed to call Hamas a terrorist organization since October 7th until today, can be in the next government. Benny Gantz admits: Eizenkot has no government without the Arab parties."

The Democratic Party asserts that the Defense Ministry is not Katz's "private propaganda ministry" and that using his position for political gain is a "disgrace" to the ministry and the public. They have demanded he cease these actions or face a petition to the Central Elections Committee chairman. The party further claimed the message contained falsehoods, specifically that Gantz did not say Eizenkot needed Arab parties in government, but rather that he personally saw no issue with Ra'am being in a coalition, a stance he has stated previously. They emphasized that official ministry channels were being used to spread campaign lies.

Sources within the opposition noted that journalists in the WhatsApp group receive updates as part of their job, not for campaign information. In response, the Defense Minister's office denied the allegations, stating the message was distributed by the minister's bureau, not the ministry's press office. They clarified that the minister's spokesperson posts political content in the group, while military personnel handle security announcements, and that the group serves for specific messages from the minister.