Michael Dougall Bell

Michael Dougall Bell
Canada Ambassador to Jordan
In office
1987–1990
Preceded by Gary Richard Harman
Succeeded by Arthur Percy Sherwood
Canada Ambassador to Israel
In office
1990–1992
Preceded by James Bartleman
Succeeded by Norman Spector
Canada Ambassador to Cyprus
In office
1991–1992
Preceded by James Bartleman
Succeeded by Norman Spector
Canada Ambassador to Egypt
In office
1994–1998
Preceded by Jacques T. Simard
Succeeded by Marie-Andrée Beauchemin
Canada Ambassador to Israel
In office
1999–2003
Preceded by David Berger
Succeeded by Donald Sinclair
Personal details
Born (1943-09-10)September 10, 1943
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Died August 24, 2017(2017-08-24) (aged 73)
Nationality Canadian
Residence Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater University of Windsor

Michael Dougall Bell (September 10, 1943 – August 24, 2017) was a Canadian Foreign Service Officer with 36 years experience in the Department of Foreign Affairs, mostly focused on the Middle East. He was Canada's Ambassador to Jordan (1987–90), Egypt (1994–98), and Israel (1990–92 and 1999–2003). He was also Chair of the Donor Committee of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq.

Early life

Bell was born on September 10, 1943 in Windsor, Ontario. He attended Assumption College School from 1958–1962, and later attended the University of Windsor. At Windsor he received his B.A. Hons (1966) and M.A. (1967) in Political Science and Economic Studies.

Foreign Service

After completing his M.A. he joined the Canadian Foreign Service, holding early positions in Kingston, Jamaica (1968–1970), Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (1970–1972), and Rome, Italy (1981–1983). He Also Served as the Senior Political Officer in Tel Aviv, Israel from 1975 to 1978. He was Executive Assistant for Middle East Affairs to the Honourable Robert Stanfield (1978–1979), and Director of the Middle East Relations Division (1983–1987), Director General for Central and Eastern Europe (1992–1994). He served as Canadian Ambassador to Egypt, Jordan and Israel (twice), as well as High Commissioner to Cyprus. He was also an Arms Inspector for UNSCOM for a short period.[1]

After the Foreign Service

Bell served as the Fellow at the Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs at Harvard University (1998–99) and from 2003-2005 he was Senior Scholar on Diplomacy at the Munk Centre for International Studies, at the University of Toronto.[1]

Bell has been a contributor to The Globe and Mail. He has also published in the Literary Review of Canada, the Behind the Headlines series of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs, Idea&s: the Arts and Science Review of the University of Toronto, the International Journal, and the Journal of International Law and International Relations.[1]

Later work

Michael Bell was the Paul Martin (Sr.) Senior Scholar on International Diplomacy at the University of Windsor, where he taught on the law and politics of the modern Middle East. He was also engaged in a major study on the future governance of Jerusalem’s Old City. The project is designed to stimulate thinking amongst decision makers, respecting options for the future governance of the old city for possible use by negotiators, in the event of renewed negotiations for a comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians.[2] Critics note that this activity was detached from regional realities, "misguided"[3] and unhelpful.[4][5]

He died on liver cancer on 24 August 2017.[6]

Political activity

Bell joined a Justin Trudeau initiative "to help him persuade voters he has the foreign policy chops to be prime minister in 2015", which was unveiled on 16 December 2014 in the lead-up to the 2015 Canadian election. The group of 14 experts included several candidates for office, a Calgary-based lawyer who advocates for Chinese state-owned enterprises, and another lawyer who wrote "lamenting the lack of diversity and women in positions of power in corporate Canada".[7] In the months between the two events, he was interviewed on the P5+1 Iran deal and said:[8]

and he has written in The Globe and Mail pieces such as:

References

  1. 1 2 3 University of Windsor - Research - Prof. M. Bell - Main
  2. ↑ uwindsor.ca: "Jerusalem Old City Initiative / About Us / Who We Are"
  3. ↑ CJN, The (2008-09-11). "A letter to Bob Rae - The Canadian Jewish News". Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  4. ↑ "Slander: Former Canadian Ambassador Says Jews, Not Arabs, Stoned Leftist (UPDATE)". Algemeiner.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  5. ↑ Ben-Dat, Mordechai (2009-01-08). "Free, but unhelpful advice - The Canadian Jewish News". Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  6. ↑ OBITUARY Former ambassador Michael Bell was the face of Canadian diplomacy in the Middle East
  7. ↑ globeandmail.com: "Trudeau unveils foreign policy team of ex-military officers, ambassadors", 16 Dec 2014
  8. ↑ theglobeandmail.com: "Leaked files show Mossad, Netanyahu differed on timetable for Iran nuclear program", 23 Feb 2015
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Gary Richard Harman		 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Jordan
1987-1990		 Succeeded by
Arthur Percy Sherwood
Preceded by
James Bartleman		 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Israel
1990-1992		 Succeeded by
Norman Spector
Preceded by
James Bartleman		 High Commissioner to Cyprus
1991-1992		 Succeeded by
Norman Spector
Preceded by
Jacques T. Simard		 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Egypt
1994-1998		 Succeeded by
Marie-Andrée Beauchemin
Preceded by
David Berger		 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Israel
1999-2003		 Succeeded by
Donald Sinclair
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