Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Israel
משרד החוץ
وزارة الخارجية الإسرائيلية

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters
Agency overview
Formed 1948
Jurisdiction Government of Israel
Headquarters Foreign Ministry Building, Givat Ram, Jerusalem
31°46′57.35″N 35°12′6.19″E / 31.7825972°N 35.2017194°ECoordinates: 31°46′57.35″N 35°12′6.19″E / 31.7825972°N 35.2017194°E
Annual budget 1.59 billion New Shekel[1]
Ministers responsible Avigdor Lieberman,
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ze'ev Elkin,
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Website www.mfa.gov.il

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Hebrew: מִשְׂרַד הַחוּץ, translit. 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.[2]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located in the government complex in Givat Ram, Jerusalem. The current Foreign Affairs Minister is Avigdor Lieberman.[3]

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,[4] 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.” [5]

Diplomatic relations

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 ambassdor to the European Union (Brussels).[6]

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.[6]

Foreign ministry building

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.[7] 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.[8] The building is described as a "sophisticated essay in the play between solid and void, mass and volume, and light and shadow."[9]

Minister

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.

Avigdor Lieberman is currently serving as Foreign Minister since 11.11.2013.

List of Ministers

# Minister Party Term of office Govt. (P.M.) Notes
1Moshe SharettMapai15 May 194818 June 1956 P·1·2·3·4 (Ben-Gurion)
5·6 (Sharett)
7 (Ben-Gurion)		 Serving Prime Minister 1954–1955
2Golda MeirMapai, Alignment18 June 195612 January 1966 7·8·9·10 (Ben-Gurion)
11·12 (Eshkol)
3Abba EbanAlignment13 January 19662 June 1974 13 (Eshkol)
14·15·16 (Meir)
4Yigal AllonAlignment3 June 197419 June 1977 17 (Rabin)
5Moshe DayanIndependent20 June 197723 October 1979 18 (Begin)
6Menachem BeginLikud23 October 197910 March 1980 18 (Begin) Serving Prime Minister
7Yitzhak ShamirLikud10 March 198020 October 1986 18·19 (Begin)
20 (Shamir)
21 (Peres)		 Serving Prime Minister 1983–1984
8Shimon PeresAlignment20 October 198623 December 1988 22 (Shamir)
9Moshe ArensLikud23 December 198812 June 1990 23 (Shamir)
10David LevyLikud13 June 199013 July 1992 24 (Shamir)
–Shimon PeresLabor Party14 July 199222 November 1995 25 (Rabin)
11Ehud BarakLabor Party22 November 199518 June 1996 26 (Peres) Not a Knesset member
–David LevyGesher18 June 19966 January 1998 27 (Netanyahu)
12Benjamin NetanyahuLikud6 January 199813 October 1998 Serving Prime Minister
13Ariel SharonLikud13 October 19986 June 1999
–David LevyOne Israel6 June 19994 August 2000 28 (Barak)
– Ehud BarakOne Israel4 August 200010 August 2000 Serving Prime Minister
14Shlomo Ben-AmiOne Israel10 August 20007 March 2001
–Shimon PeresLabor Party7 March 20012 November 2002 29 (Sharon)
–Ariel SharonLikud2 November 20026 November 2002 Serving Prime Minister
–Benjamin NetanyahuLikud6 November 200228 February 2003
15Silvan ShalomLikud28 February 200316 January 2006 30 (Sharon)
16Tzipi LivniKadima18 January 20061 April 2009 31 (Olmert)
17Avigdor LiebermanYisrael Beiteinu1 April 200918 December 2012 32 (Netanyahu)
–Benjamin NetanyahuLikud18 December 201211 November 2013 32·33 (Netanyahu) Serving Prime Minister
–Avigdor LiebermanYisrael Beiteinu11 November 2013Incumbent 33 (Netanyahu)

Deputy Ministers

# Minister Party Term of office Govt. (P.M.)
1Yehuda Ben-MeirNRP, Gesher ZRC11 August 198113 September 1984 19 (Begin)
20 (Shamir)
2Roni MiloLikud24 September 198420 October 1986 21 (Peres)
3Benjamin NetanyahuLikud26 December 198811 November 1991 23·24 (Shamir)
4Yossi BeilinLabor Party4 August 199217 July 1995 25 (Rabin)
5Eli DayanLabor Party24 July 199518 June 1996 26 (Peres)
6Nawaf MassalhaOne Israel5 August 19997 March 2001 28 (Barak)
7Michael MelchiorMeimad7 March 20012 November 2002 29 (Sharon)
8Majalli WahabiKadima29 October 200731 March 2009 31 (Olmert)
9Danny AyalonYisrael Beiteinu31 March 200918 March 2013 32 (Netanyahu)
10Ze'ev ElkinLikud18 March 201312 May 2014 33 (Netanyahu)
11Tzachi HanegbiLikud2 June 2014Incumbent 33 (Netanyahu)

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.financeisrael.mof.gov.il/FinanceIsrael/Docs/En/publications/StateBudgetProposal2013-2014.pdf
  2. ↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  3. ↑ "AFP: Hardliner Lieberman returns as Israel foreign minister". AFP. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  4. ↑ Encyclopedia of Israel and Zionism, ed. Raphael Patai, Herzl Press/McGraw Hill, New York, 1971, pp.339-340
  5. ↑ "Ahren, Raphael 'Politicians, diplomats struggle to improve foreign service' (Dec 2, 1014) The Times of Israel"http://www.timesofisrael.com/politicians-diplomats-struggle-to-improve-foreign-service/
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Israel's Diplomatic Missions Abroad". Mfa.gov.il. 2011-10-11. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  7. ↑ "Three Way Building". Worldarchitecturenews.com. 2007-02-23. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  8. ↑ "Jerusalem architecture since 1948". Mfa.gov.il. 2001-12-01. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  9. ↑ Your Name (this will appear with your post) (2003-05-01). "Jerusalem of Gold". Cdnarchitect.com. Retrieved 2012-02-21.

External links

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