Rafael Harpaz

Rafael Harpaz

Rafael Harpaz (Hebrew: רפאל הרפז‎) is an Israeli diplomat. He is Israel's Ambassador to the Philippines since August 2018. Prior to this designation, he served as the Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MFA) Central Asia and Caucasus Department since December 2015.

He served as Israel's ambassador to Azerbaijan from September 2012 to August 2015. Prior to that he served as head of the Economic Department in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) dealing with Israel's economic relations with North and South America as well as Africa (2009-2012).

He also served as Director of Public Affairs Department in the Embassy of Israel in Washington D.C. (2005-2009), and Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of Israel in Stockholm, Sweden (1999-2003), Bern, Switzerland (1993-1997), and Abidjan, Ivory Coast (1991-1993).

Personal Background

Rafael Harpaz was born in Jerusalem, Israel, on January 8, 1962. He grew up in Beit HaKerem neighborhood in west Jerusalem and is the son of Nissan, the General Federation of Labour of Jerusalem and Rachel, an artist and teacher. Harpaz graduated from Boyer High School in 1980 and served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) between 1980-1983. He is married with three children, and speaks Hebrew, English and French.

Academic Studies

2017 International M.A. in Diplomacy and Security Studies, Tel Aviv University with distinction.

1984-1987 B.A. in International Relations and Supplementary Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Career

Rafael Harpaz commenced his diplomatic career by joining the MFA in 1989.

Following the successful completion of the cadet course,Harpaz served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (1991-1993), Bern, Switzerland (1993-1997) and Stockholm, Sweden (1999-2003). He also served as head of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. (2005-2009), and was responsible for the relations between the State of Israel and Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. He served as Israel's ambassador to Azerbaijan from September 2012 to August 2015.

During his tenure at the MFA, Harpaz assumed positions of Deputy Director, North Africa Division (1997-1999); Export Control Coordinator, Division of Strategic Affairs (2003-2005); and Director of the economic department of Israel's economic relations with North and South America, Africa (2009-2012). He also served as the Director of Central Asia and Caucasus Department (December 2015-August 2018).

Career Highlights

  • Harpaz coordinates Holocaust victims' assets in Swiss banks on behalf of the Foreign Ministry
  • On January 2000, Harpaz participated in the first international Holocaust conference in Stockholm.
  • On December 2002, as Charge d'affairs of the Embassy of Israel in Sweden, Harpaz attended the Nobel Prize ceremony where Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kahnemann was presented the Nobel Prize in economics.
  • On June 2008, Harpaz represented the Embassy of Israel at the celebrations of Israel at 60 at the National Mall. This event was hosted and sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. The number of participants at the event was estimated to be between 50,000–75,000.
  • On September 2009 appointed as the executor of the will of Mr. Alois Eduard Heuberger of Switzerland, who donated his estate to cerebral palsy institutions in Israel, as well as in other countries in the Middle East. Together with the representative of the Israeli Ministry of Justice, he instructed that the donation be divided among several institutions.
  • On April 2013, Harpaz accompanied Foreign Minister Mr. Elmar Mammadyarov for the first official visit to Israel by an Azerbaijani foreign minister since the establishment of relations between the two countries in 1993.
  • On May 2014, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Avigdor Lieberman, visited Azerbaijan. During the visit, Mr. Lieberman stated that Israel views the relationship with Azerbaijan as one of special importance, and praised Azerbaijan for being a country that exemplifies religious and ethnic tolerance both in past and present.
  • Harpaz Signed visa waiver agreement between Israel and Azerbaijan on behalf of the Israeli government Pursuant to the agreement from December 12, 2014, any Azerbaijani or Israeli official possessing a diplomatic or service passport is able to travel between the two states without a visa.
  • On September 2014, Israeli Minister of Defense, Mr. Moshe Ya'alon, visited Azerbaijan. This was the first official visit of an Israeli Minister of Defense to Azerbaijan.
  • On September 2014, Harpaz visited the United States in order to meet with Congressmen, State Department officials, Jewish organizations, academics personnel, and representatives of the private sector in Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York Cityconcerning the relations between Israel and Azerbaijan and regarding Azerbaijan as a modelof tolerance. The visit was joined by the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the United States, Mr. Elin Suleymanov, and was sponsored by the American Jewish Committee.

References

    See also

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