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Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel)

Coordinates: 31°46′57″N 35°12′04″E / 31.78250°N 35.20111°E / 31.78250; 35.20111
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Israel
משרד החוץ
وزارة الخارجية الإسرائيلية
Seal of the MFA
Agency overview
Formed1948
JurisdictionGovernment of Israel
HeadquartersForeign Ministry Building, Givat Ram, Jerusalem
31°46′57″N 35°12′04″E / 31.78250°N 35.20111°E / 31.78250; 35.20111
Minister responsible
Websitewww.mfa.gov.il

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Hebrew: מִשְׂרַד הַחוּץ, romanized: Misrad HaHutz; Arabic: وزارة الخارجية الإسرائيلية) is one of the most important ministries in the Israeli government. The ministry's role is to implement Israel's foreign policy, and promote economic, cultural, and scientific relations with other countries.[1]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located in the government complex in Givat Ram, Jerusalem. Gideon Sa'ar currently holds the Foreign Ministry post.

History

In the early months of 1948, when the government of the future State of Israel was being formed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was housed in a building in the abandoned Templer village of Sarona, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Moshe Sharett, formerly head of the Political Department of the Jewish Agency, was placed in charge of foreign relations,[2] with Walter Eytan as Director General.

In November 2013, the longest labor dispute in the history of the Foreign Ministry's workers union came to an end when diplomats signed an agreement that would increase their salaries and improve their working conditions. A new organization was founded, the Israeli Association for Diplomacy, with the mission of promoting the interests of Foreign Ministry staff. In response to issues raised, MK Ronen Hoffman arranged for the Knesset to launch a caucus entitled the "Caucus for the strengthening of the foreign service and Israeli diplomacy" in December 2014. Joined by politicians across the political spectrum, Hoffman said, "As long as the security establishment and the army are preferred over the foreign service, national security is damaged. A country whose foreign service doesn't take a central position doesn't act in the best national interest."[3]

Diplomatic relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Israel

Israel maintains diplomatic relations with 159 countries. It operates 77 embassies, 19 consulates-general and 5 special missions: a mission to the United Nations (New York), a mission to the United Nations institutions in Geneva, a mission to the United Nations institutions in Paris, a mission to the United Nations institutions in Vienna and an ambassador to the European Union (Brussels).[4]

In October 2000, Morocco, Tunisia and the Sultanate of Oman closed the Israeli offices in their countries and suspended relations with Israel. Niger, which renewed relations with Israel in November 1996, severed them in April 2002. Venezuela and Bolivia severed diplomatic ties with Israel in January 2009, in the wake of the IDF operation against Hamas in Gaza.[4]

Foreign ministry building

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters

The new building of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiryat Ben-Gurion, the government complex near the Knesset, was designed by Jerusalem architects Kolker, Kolker and Epstein in association with Diamond, Donald, Schmidt & Co. of Toronto. The building consists of three wings: One houses the offices of the Foreign Minister and director-general, another houses the diplomatic corps and the library, and the third is used for receptions.[5] The outside walls of the reception hall incorporate onyx plates that diffuse an amber light. In June 2001, the design won the prize for excellence from the Royal Institute of Architects of Canada.[6] The building is described as a "sophisticated essay in the play between solid and void, mass and volume, and light and shadow."[7]

List of ministers

The Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel (Hebrew: שר החוץ, Sar HaHutz) is the political head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The position is one of the most important in the Israeli cabinet after Prime Minister and Defense Minister.

# Minister Party Governments Term start Term end Notes
1 Moshe Sharett Mapai P, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 15 May 1948 18 June 1956 Serving Prime Minister 1954–1955
2 Golda Meir Mapai
Alignment		 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 18 June 1956 12 January 1966
3 Abba Eban Alignment
Labor Party
Alignment		 13, 14, 15, 16 13 January 1966 2 June 1974
4 Yigal Allon Alignment 17 3 June 1974 19 June 1977
5 Moshe Dayan Independent 18 20 June 1977 23 October 1979
6 Menachem Begin Likud 18 23 October 1979 10 March 1980 Serving Prime Minister
7 Yitzhak Shamir Likud 18, 19, 20, 21 10 March 1980 20 October 1986 Serving Prime Minister 1983–1984
8 Shimon Peres Alignment 22 20 October 1986 23 December 1988
9 Moshe Arens Likud 23 23 December 1988 12 June 1990
10 David Levy Likud 24 13 June 1990 13 July 1992
– Shimon Peres Labor Party 25 14 July 1992 22 November 1995
11 Ehud Barak Labor Party 26 22 November 1995 18 June 1996 Not a Knesset member
– David Levy Gesher 27 18 June 1996 6 January 1998
12 Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 27 6 January 1998 13 October 1998 Serving Prime Minister
13 Ariel Sharon Likud 27 13 October 1998 6 June 1999
– David Levy One Israel 28 6 June 1999 4 August 2000
– Ehud Barak One Israel 28 4 August 2000 10 August 2000 Serving Prime Minister
14 Shlomo Ben-Ami One Israel 28 10 August 2000 7 March 2001
– Shimon Peres Labor Party 29 7 March 2001 2 October 2002
– Ariel Sharon Likud 29 2 October 2002 6 November 2002 Serving Prime Minister
– Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 29 6 November 2002 28 February 2003
15 Silvan Shalom Likud 30 28 February 2003 16 January 2006
16 Tzipi Livni Kadima 31 18 January 2006 1 April 2009
17 Avigdor Lieberman Yisrael Beiteinu 32 1 April 2009 18 December 2012
– Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 32, 33 18 December 2012 11 November 2013 Serving Prime Minister
– Avigdor Lieberman Yisrael Beiteinu 33 11 November 2013 6 May 2015
– Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 34 14 May 2015 17 February 2019 Serving Prime Minister
18 Yisrael Katz Likud 34 17 February 2019 17 May 2020
19 Gabi Ashkenazi Blue and White 35 17 May 2020 13 June 2021
20 Yair Lapid Yesh Atid 36 13 June 2021 29 December 2022 Serving Prime Minister
21 Eli Cohen Likud 37 29 December 2022 1 January 2024
– Yisrael Katz Likud 37 1 January 2024 5 November 2024
22 Gideon Sa'ar New Hope 37 5 November 2024

Deputy ministers

# Minister Party Governments Term start Term end
1 Yehuda Ben-Meir National Religious Party
Gesher ZRC		 19, 20 11 August 1981 13 September 1984
2 Roni Milo Likud 21 24 September 1984 20 October 1986
3 Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 23, 24 26 December 1988 11 November 1991
4 Yossi Beilin Labor Party 25 4 August 1992 17 July 1995
5 Eli Dayan Labor Party 26 24 July 1995 18 June 1996
6 Nawaf Massalha One Israel 28 5 August 1999 7 March 2001
7 Michael Melchior Meimad 29 7 March 2001 26 March 2001
8 Majalli Wahabi Kadima 31 29 October 2007 31 March 2009
9 Danny Ayalon Yisrael Beiteinu 32 31 March 2009 18 March 2013
10 Ze'ev Elkin Likud 33 18 March 2013 12 May 2014
11 Tzachi Hanegbi Likud 33 2 June 2014 6 May 2015
12 Tzipi Hotovely Likud 34 19 May 2015 21 April 2020
13 Idan Roll Yesh Atid 36 12 June 2021 29 December 2022

See also

References

  1. ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archived 2008-02-23 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Encyclopedia of Israel and Zionism, ed. Raphael Patai, Herzl Press/McGraw Hill, New York, 1971, pp. 339–340
  3. ^ Ahren, Raphael (December 2, 2014). "Politicians, diplomats struggle to improve foreign service". The Times of Israel.
  4. ^ a b "Israel's Diplomatic Missions Abroad". Mfa.gov.il. 2011-10-11. Archived from the original on 2011-08-05. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  5. ^ "Three Way Building". Worldarchitecturenews.com. 2007-02-23. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  6. ^ "Jerusalem architecture since 1948". Mfa.gov.il. 2001-12-01. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  7. ^ Your Name (this will appear with your post) (2003-05-01). "Jerusalem of Gold". Cdnarchitect.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
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