Reuven Merhav

Reuven Merhav was born in 1936 in Tel Aviv

Reuven Merhav was born on February 9, 1936. His Jewish parents had fled Nazi Germany. He was part of the founding group of Kibbutz Dvir in the Negev.

He studied history at Tel Aviv University and Arabic language, literature and Islamic history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He served as president of the National Union of Israeli Students.

From 1961 to 1983 he worked in Israeli intelligence, with postings in Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Tehran. He then joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and headed its mission in Beirut during the Lebanon War. From 1985 to 1988 he was consul general in Hong Kong, building ties with China before diplomatic relations existed.

As Director General of the Foreign Ministry until 1991, he led the Taba talks with Egypt and helped open Israel's mission in Beijing. He also negotiated terms that allowed Operation Solomon. He then served as Director General of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption until 1993, focusing on immigrants from Ethiopia.

He became a fellow of the Jerusalem Institute and advised at the 2000 Camp David Summit. He sat on the Turkel Commission on the 2010 Gaza flotilla. He chairs the Association of Israelis of Central European Origin and sits on the board of the Claims Conference.