Yaakov Katz

Yaakov Katz is the former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post. He previously served for close to a decade as the paper's military reporter and defense analyst. He is the author of "Shadow Strike: Inside Israel's Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power" and co-author of two books: "Weapon Wizards - How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower" (with Amir Bohbot) and "Israel vs. Iran - The Shadow War" (with Yoaz Hendel).

In 2012-2013 he was a fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University and was a faculty member at Harvard's Extension School where he taught an advanced course in journalism.
Israeli attorney general Gali Baharav Miara attends a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee leads a committee meeting in the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on April 27, 2025.

The 'deep state' is not blocking Israel's leaders, they just refuse to govern - opinion

The so-called "deep state" is currently ruling Israeli politics, but it's little more than a farce excuse designed by Israel's leaders.

DECEMBER 5, 2025
Defense Minister Israel Katz speaks during an IDF swearing-in ceremony for the new Military Advocate-General Itai Offir, November 27, 2025

Afraid of accountability, Israel’s government goes after its own generals - opinion

What Katz did to Zamir this week is not about professionalism, governance, or oversight. It is about keeping the spotlight on the IDF and away from the government.

NOVEMBER 28, 2025
US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman attend the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Washington on Wednesday. Israel’s quiet over the F-35 deal is part of a strategy, the writer maintains.

Israel's silence over US' F-35 deal with Saudi Arabia is strategy, not indifference - opinion

Jerusalem understands that everything announced this week is an inevitable part of the trajectory toward a US-brokered Saudi normalization deal. Israel is ready to bear the cost.

NOVEMBER 21, 2025

Next elections, Israel's politics of boycott against Netanyahu must end - opinion

Donald Trump sent a signed letter to President Herzog asking for a pardon for Prime Minister Netanyahu. Can Herzog pardon Netanyahu, and more importantly, can lawmakers work with him?

NOVEMBER 14, 2025
PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Knesset plenum on Monday. The obsession over one man has paralyzed the system, the writer asserts.

From battle to Knesset: Israel’s reservists act as true leaders - opinion

Amichai’s story is the story of an entire generation of Israelis stepping forward and sacrificing for the country. Should they be the ones who lead Israel's future?

NOVEMBER 7, 2025
Representatives of IDF reservist organizations hold a press conference in Tel Aviv regarding the proposed Draft Law, July 2, 2025.

Even with Gaza ceasefire in place, Hamas may still be winning the war - opinion

Hamas is far from gone from Gaza, little progress has been made on 19 out of Trump's 20 points in his plan and not all of the hostages' remains have been returned. Is Hamas winning?

OCTOBER 31, 2025
THEN-ISRAELI AMBASSADOR to the UN Gilad Erdan holds up a picture of Yahya Sinwar at the UN General Assembly last year. The writer wonders: If Sinwar came back to life, would he believe that he lost the war, or that Hamas won?

The United States is 'Bibi-sitting' Israel from up close like never before - opinion

As Israel faces a new phase of post-war recovery, the US is playing a more active role in overseeing the ceasefire and shaping its future. Is Israel’s self-reliance now a thing of the past?

OCTOBER 24, 2025
US VICE PRESIDENT JD Vance meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Over the last two weeks, the stream of high-level US visitors has been extraordinary, says the writer.

'While Israel Slept': A look at the leadup to the Oct 7. massacre - excerpt

An excerpt from the new book by Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot about the lead-up to the October 7 massacre.

OCTOBER 18, 2025
PALESTINIANS USE explosive devices amid clashes with Israeli security forces in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on September 27, 2023, following a protest near the border fence.

Gaza's future: Doomed to repeat the mistakes of Lebanon? - opinion

This Lebanese model; where a weak government coexists with a dominant guerrilla force, could soon find its counterpart in Gaza.

OCTOBER 17, 2025
PALESTINIANS WALK past the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza City yesterday. The Lebanese model, in which a weak government coexists with a dominant guerrilla force, could soon take hold in the Gaza Strip, the writer warns.

America's peacemaking role: How Israel is dependent on the US - opinion

America remains invested, at least for now, and continues to view Israel’s security as part of its own strategic interest. The question is whether Israel can learn to navigate that reality.

OCTOBER 10, 2025
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach out to shake hands at the White House last week. The world must support the Trump-Netanyahu framework in which Hamas is held accountable and peace can take root, says the writer.

Israel must present its own plan for Gaza, or the world will do it for them - opinion

Israel can either lead or be led. It can shape the outcome of this war and the future of Gaza and of this conflict, or it can wait until everyone else decides for them.

OCTOBER 3, 2025
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference in the State Dining Room at the White House, in Washington, DC, US, September 29, 2025

Israel failed to decide how to end the war, so Washington gets to step in - opinion

The government cannot define the endgame, and the people cannot imagine closure without the hostages. That is why the world steps in; frustrated by the vacuum, it wants to define Israel’s future. 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2025
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump meets with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2025.

Netanyahu's vision of Sparta is not what Israel needs - opinion

Netanyahu's vision for the future is an Israel in a hunkered-down status against the world.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2025
PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu holds a news conference in Jerusalem this week. He seems to have miscalculated the exasperation that has seeped into every corner of this country, the writer maintains.