Anna Azari

Anna Azari (born 27 August 1959) is an Israeli diplomat, and the current Ambassador of Israel to Poland. She has previously been Israel's Ambassador to Russia.

Anna Azari
Israel Ambassador to Ukraine and Moldova
In office
1999–2003
Succeeded byNaomi Ben-Ami
Israeli Ambassador to Russia
In office
2007–2010
Preceded byArkady Milman
Succeeded byDorit Golender
Israel Ambassador to Poland
In office
September 2014 – 2019
Preceded byZvi Rav-Ner
Succeeded byAleksander Ben Cewi
Personal details
Born (1959-08-27) 27 August 1959
Vilnius, Lithuanian SSR
NationalityIsraeli
Alma materUniversity of Haifa
Hebrew University
National Security College
ProfessionDiplomat

Early life and education

She was born in Vilnius, Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1959 and emigrated to Israel with her family in 1972.[1][2] Azari attended the University of Haifa, earning a bachelor's degree in history and English literature and a master’s in political science. She also garnered a Special Program in Russian Studies from Hebrew University and graduated from the National Security College.[3]

Career

She has been in the Israeli Foreign Service since the 1980s, and lived in San Francisco from 1989 to 1992, serving as consul-general of Israel to the Pacific Northwest.[3][4] In 1991, while serving as consul general in San Francisco, Azari criticized Martin S. Weiner, an outspoken local rabbi, for supporting a move by U.S. President George H. W. Bush to delay loan guarantees to Israel.[5]

From 1995 to 1997 Azari was first secretary at the Embassy of Israel in Moscow.[2] Beginning in 1999, she served as Ambassador of Israel to both Ukraine and Moldova and, before leaving the post in 2003, was described in the Ukrainian press as one of the country's most popular foreign diplomats.[1]

On the day of the September 11 attacks, Azari was meeting with a delegation of physicians from Chicago and Atlanta-based Jewish Healthcare International to discuss their collaborative work with Ukrainian health professionals. The meeting was interrupted when they learned of the attacks and they watched news coverage of the attacks in the meeting room until the embassy was ordered to be evacuated.[6] Following her tenure in Ukraine, Azari ran the Ministry's Eurasia Department where she handled relations with former Soviet states.[4] During this time she was considered to be one of several candidates that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could choose to appoint as head of Nativ.[7][8]

She was appointed as ambassador to Russia by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in 2006 and presented her credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin on 18 January 2007.[9][10] Over the course of her tenure, Israel and Russia agreed to eliminate the visa requirement for tourists traveling between the two countries and Russia ended a deal to sell Iran S-300 surface-to-air missiles.[1] Dorit Golander was chosen to replace Azari in 2009 and she left the post in the summer of 2010.[1][11] In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta prior to her departure, Azari stated that relations between Israel and Russia had improved markedly and that she saw the level of diplomatic activity nearing a par with Russia's relations with bigger countries, such as Germany.[12]

Personal life

Azari is married to Rabbi Meir Azari who leads the Reform Judaism congregation of Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv and together they have two children.[2][3] When her appointment as ambassador to Russia was announced, Greer Fay Cashman of The Jerusalem Post suggested her marriage could be a source of contention with orthodox religious communities in Russia.[2]

References
  1. Kramer, Stephen (12 November 2010). "Russia-Israel Relations". Jewish Times of South Jersey. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  2. Cashman, Greer Fay. "Grapevine: How do you say 'traffic' in Korean?". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  3. "Conference Call with Ambassador Azari, August 12, 2010". The Israel Project. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  4. "Putin accepts Israeli ambassador's credentials". Israel Today. 23 January 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  5. Wall, Alexandra J. (23 May 2003). "Rabbi Weiner retires from Sherith Israel Saying goodbye after 32 years". j. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  6. Gidwitz, Betsy. "September 2001 In Ukraine". Betsy Gidwitz Reports. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  7. Krieger, Hilary Leila. "PM to name new head for Nativ". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  8. Melman, Yossi (19 September 2005). "A professional should run Nativ". Haaretz. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  9. Benn, Aluf (30 June 2006). "FM Livni convenes appointments panel for first time in months". Haaretz. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  10. "Vladimir Putin accepted the letters of credential of foreign ambassadors". The Kremlin, Moscow: Presidential Press and Information Office. 18 January 2007. Archived from the original on 17 April 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
  11. "At the Weekly Cabinet Meeting 20.12.2009". Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  12. Yershov, Yuriy (9 August 2010). "Outgoing Israeli envoy to Russia reflects on stint in Moscow". Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
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