Politicsיורם בן-זאב

Yoram Ben-Zeev

Yoram Ben-Zeev is an Israeli diplomat who served as Israel's ambassador to Germany from 2007 to 2012.

born 1944Israeli ambassador to GermanyAdviser to President Chaim HerzogConsul general in Los Angeles

Born: 20 July 1944, Mandatory Palestine
Occupation: diplomat
Education: Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Yoram Ben-Zeev was born in 1944 in Mandatory Palestine

Yoram Ben-Zeev was born on 20 July 1944 in Mandatory Palestine. He served as a lieutenant in the IDF and was wounded in the 1967 Six-Day War.

He studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He earned a BA in international relations in 1970 and took graduate studies in Middle Eastern studies and political science in 1972.

He joined the Foreign Ministry in 1973 and served in Hong Kong and Manila. He later held posts in Jerusalem and Los Angeles, and from 1987 to 1993 he advised President Chaim Herzog. After the Oslo Accords he coordinated the peace process, became consul general in Los Angeles in 1995, and in 1999 headed the ministry's North America division, advising Prime Minister Ehud Barak at Camp David in 2000.

In December 2007 he became ambassador to Germany, replacing Shimon Stein, and served until 2012. He said he aimed to deepen ties with the European Union and the German public. During the 2008-2009 Gaza War he described Hamas as a terrorist government backed by Iran.

After leaving the Foreign Ministry he became a director at Elbit Systems. He is married to Iris, has 3 children, and lives in Tel Aviv-Yafo.