Michael Herzog (ambassador) explained

Michael Herzog
Office:Israeli Ambassador to the United States
Term Start:November 15, 2021
Primeminister:
Predecessor:Gilad Erdan
Birth Name:Michael Herzog
Birth Date:July 15, 1952
Birth Place:Israel
Mother:Aura Herzog
Father:Chaim Herzog
Relatives:Herzog family
Citizenship:Israeli
Alma Mater:
Spouse:Shirin Herzog
Children:2

Michael (Mike) Herzog (Hebrew: מיכאל (מייק) הרצוג, born July 15, 1952) is an Israeli diplomat and retired military officer who has been the Israeli Ambassador to the United States since November 2021.[1]

Biography

Michael (Mike) Herzog is the son of Chaim Herzog, the sixth President of Israel. Herzog's mother is Aura Herzog. His paternal grandfather was Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, the chief rabbi of both Ireland and Israel. His uncle, Yaakov Herzog, served as Israel's ambassador to Canada. His younger brother, Isaac Herzog, is the eleventh President of Israel.

Herzog is married to Shirin Herzog (née Halperin), an attorney, with whom he has two children.

Military career

Herzog served as a general in the Israel Defense Forces. He was the military secretary for both Shaul Mofaz and Ehud Barak when they served as defense ministers.[2]

Non-military career

A researcher in the field of Israeli-Middle East relations, Herzog has been a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank and participated in the 2013-2014 peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. In 2021, he was appointed as Ambassador to the U.S. by Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett, replacing Gilad Erdan. Erdan previously was Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. as well as Ambassador to the United Nations, and continued to hold the UN role after Herzog replaced him as representative to the U.S.[3]

Notes and References

  1. News: Magid. Jacob. November 16, 2021. New Israeli ambassador to US Mike Herzog pledges to keep Israel a nonpartisan issue. The Times of Israel. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211116025909/https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-israeli-ambassador-to-us-mike-herzog-pledges-to-keep-israel-a-nonpartisan-issue/. November 16, 2021.
  2. Web site: Lis . Jonathan . September 5, 2023 . Israel Okays Appointment of Michael Herzog as Ambassador to U.S. . October 15, 2023 . Haaretz . en.
  3. News: Harkov. Lahav. August 7, 2021. Michael 'Mike' Herzog, president's brother, is new US ambassador pick. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210809103736/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/bennett-announces-michael-herzog-as-us-ambassador-pick-676048. August 9, 2021. The Jerusalem Post.