Israel Katz was born in 1955 in Ashkelon. He holds a B.A. degree from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he also attended graduate studies. A resident of Moshav Kfar Ahim, he has engaged in agriculture. He is married, with two children.

Israel Katz has been a Member of Knesset since 1998, serving as a member of the Knesset Finance, House, Constitution, Law & Justice, Internal Affairs and Environment, and Foreign Affairs & Defense Committees. He has also been a member of the Committee for Public Petitions, the Joint Committee for the Defense Budget, and the Special Committee for Discussion of the Security Service Law.

He has also served as President of the Likud Party Convention.

Israel Katz served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from February 2003 until his resignation in January 2006. In March 2009 he was appointed Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, and reappointed in March 2013. 

In May 2015, Israel Katz was appointed Minister of Transportation and Road Safety and Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy. In February 2019, he was appointed Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and on 29 May 2019 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.