Joel Lion (born 1964) is an Israeli

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

, he serves currently as

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the

State of Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

to the

Republic of Armenia A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

and to the

Republic of Moldova A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

with residence in Jerusalem. He is the former Ambassador of the State of Israel to

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. From May 2017 to August 2018, he served as the Chief of Diplomatic Staff of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Tzipi Hotovely Tzipi Hotovely ( he, צִיפִּי חוֹטוֹבֵלִי, born 2 December 1978) is an Israeli diplomat and former politician who serves as the current Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom. She served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affai ...

. Joel Lion joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993.

Biography

Joel Lion is the son of Alain Lion and Helene Becher. He was born in 1964 in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and raised in

Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette (; lb, Esch-Uelzecht ; german: Esch an der Alzette or ''Esch an der Alzig'') is the second city of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the country's second-most populous commune, with a population of 35,040 inhabitants, . It lies ...

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

. Mr. Lion is married to Rivka, and is the father of eight children. From September 2016 to October 2017 he served as the Special envoy for Holocaust issues and the return of Jewish assets from the Holocaust era. In that position he worked to coordinate the work between th
WJRO
and the State of Israel. Before from October 2014 to September 2016, he was Director of the Public & Academic Affairs Department at the Media and Public Affairs Division of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem.
From August 2011 to August 2014, Lion served

Consul-General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

of the

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, with jurisdiction on

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

and the

Atlantic provinces Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...

, and also as the

Permanent Representative A permanent representative is a diplomat who is the head of a country’s diplomatic mission to an international organisation. Organizations that receive permanent representatives from their member states include the United Nations, the World Tr ...

of his country to

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...

, the International Civil Aviation Organization. Prior to being appointed Consul General in Montreal, he served as the Spokesperson and Consul for Media Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel in New York. He assumed this post in August 2009, and has been responsible for maintaining direct contact with America’s national and local media in the tri-state area, before New York he served as Deputy Director for the Western European Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, and was responsible for political relations with Germany. Previously, he was Counselor, Head of the Public Affairs Department at Israel’s Embassy in Berlin. He also served as Deputy Chief of Mission Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania at the Israeli Embassy in Riga and was Charge D' Affaires for Slovakia at the Israeli Embassy in Vienna.
Before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Joel Lion has worked for the JNF-KKL in Jerusalem, as well as the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Lion served in the Israel Defense Forces and attained the rank of Sergeant-Major in the Artillery Corps.

Special Missions

In 1999, he became the first Israeli official to partake in the mission of election monitoring with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. At the start of the

second Intifada The Second Intifada ( ar, الانتفاضة الثانية, ; he, האינתיפאדה השנייה, ), also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada ( ar, انتفاضة الأقصى, label=none, '), was a major Palestinian uprising against Israel. ...

in 2001, Mr. Lion operated as Spokesman with the MFA special team in Bethlehem. During operation "

Cast Lead Cast may refer to: Music * Cast (band), an English alternative rock band * Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band * The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis * ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...

", he worked as director in charge of the MFA Press Center in

Sderot Sderot ( he, שְׂדֵרוֹת, , lit. ''Boulevards'', ar, سديروت) is a western Negev city and former development town in the Southern District of Israel. In it had a population of . Sderot is located less than a mile from Gaza (the c ...

. During the

Russia-Ukraine War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since February 2014. Following Ukraine's Revo ...

(2022) he headed Israel's Emergency Response Team in Moldova, dealing with the Ukrainian Refugee crisis.

Education

In addition to his diplomatic career, Joel Lion has an extensive academic background. He earned his B.A. in Political Sciences from

Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

in 1988, and received his M.A. in History from the

University of Latvia University of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Universitāte, shortened ''LU'') is a state-run university located in Riga, Latvia established in 1919. The ''QS World University Rankings'' places the university between 801st and 1000th globally, seventh ...

in 1998.
Currently he is a PhD student at the Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology of

Bar Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, he, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic i ...

.
He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

as an Orthodox Rabbi by Rabbi Dan Channen from Yeshivat Pirchei Shoshanim and by the Chief Rabbi of the city of Holon
Rabbi Eliyahu Yohanan Gur-Arieh
br /> In 1995, he completed the International Training Course in Security Policy of the Federal Military Department of Switzerland, in Geneva.
He is fluent in Hebrew, English, French, German, Luxemburgish, Yiddish and has a good knowledge of Russian.

Publications

*''The Trees Sing'', A Sourcebook for Tu Bi-Shevat, selected by Rabbi Moshe Edelman, edited by Joel Lion, published by the Jewish National Fund 1992
''What is really on trial in the Goldstone Report''

''Israel is ready for peace'', by Joel Lion

Albany Times Union The ''Times Union'' is an American daily newspaper, serving the Capital Region of New York. Although the newspaper focuses on Albany and its suburbs, it covers all parts of the four-county area, including the cities of Troy, Schenectady and Sar ...

, December 19, 2009
''Hoping for a reconciliation between friends'', by Joel Lion
JTA, January 14, 2010
''It takes two to forge a lasting Mideast peace'',by Joel Lion

NY Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Ta ...

, December 6, 2009
''Lessons Must be Learned from the Holocaust'', IsraelPolitik, 04/12/2010''Israel @ 62 – “If you will it, it is no dream”'', by Joel Lion, [http://www.israelpolitik.org/ IsraelPolitik], Apr. 20, 2010''Earth Day is every day in Israel''. by Joel Lion, [http://www.israelpolitik.org/ IsraelPolitik], Apr. 22, 2010''Can Peace Talks Work in Face of PA Incitement?''. by Joel Lion, Algemeiner Journal, May 4, 2010

''A Freeze On Mideast Politics''
October 5, 2010 in

the Jewish Week ''The Jewish Week'' is a weekly independent community newspaper targeted towards the Jewish community of the metropolitan New York City area. ''The Jewish Week'' covers news relating to the Jewish community in NYC. In March 2016, ''The Jewish We ...

The Tomb of Rachel and UNESCO
November 15, 2010 in OUbr>Shabbat Shalom NewsletterJudah Maccabee and the Peace Process
in the blo
Israelpolitik
December 3, 2010 *Letter to the Editor of

the New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

Residents of Jerusalem
Published: December 4, 2010 *Letter to the Editor of

br>Israel and the Gaza Flotilla
Published: June 3, 2011 *Libre Opinion in

Le Devoir ''Le Devoir'' (, "Duty") is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and throughout Canada. It was founded by journalist and politician Henri Bourassa in 1910. ''Le Devoir'' is one of few independent large-c ...

Pour la paix de nos deux peuples
Published: September 23, 2011
Lessons for the Middle East from the Festival of Lights
Published: December 23, 2011
Holocauste - Victimes et héros
Published: January 30, 2012
Time to Cash in on the Peace Dividend
Published: April 25, 2012
Recrudescence des activités terroristes
Published: July 30, 2012
Légitime défense
Published: November 17, 2012 *Joël Lion, Special to

The Gazette (Montreal) The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...

Hamas violence forcing Israel to defend itself
Published: November 21, 2012 *Joël Lion, Special to

the National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Mo ...

Palestinian unilateralism will solve nothing
Published: November 29, 2012 *Joël Lion, Special to

Opinion: Israel is not ‘bombing civilians’
Published: July 17, 2014

In the news

Joel Lion, Надзвичайний та Повноважний Посол Держави Ізраїль в Україні, з Mykola Siruk та Щоденна всеукраїнська газета «День».Meeting the Prime Minister of Ukraine

* ttp://www.jta.org/news/article/2009/09/15/1007888/toronto-festival-calls-israeli-pr-strategy-into-question/ Toronto film fest calls Israeli PR strategy into question
Pro-Israel Ad Campaign on ‘NYT’ Website? Refutes Gaza War criticisms

Geste der Versöhnung Berliner Studenten radeln von Sachsenhausen nach Israel

Der popmusikalische Botschafter

Israelsk politi holdt konserter i Tyskland

Lithuanian, Israeli diplomats hold political consultationsIsrael is inventive moving and spiritual not just about conflict

This Rabbi-To-Be Knows How To Throw A Punch

»In den nächsten 100 Jahren kein echter Frieden« Israelischer Botschaftsrat Joel Lion schildert seine Sicht des Nahostkonfliktes

„Ich liebe diese Stadt“

New York Jews sail 'True Freedom Flotilla' for Gilad Shalit

Shalom, Latinos!

Local Latino, Jewish leaders gather to reaffirm bond

Lieberman woos New York's Russians

Israel Mountain Blaze Rages
in

Algemeiner The ''Algemeiner Journal'', known informally as ''The Algemeiner'', is a newspaper based in New York City that covers American and international Jewish and Israel-related news. History In 1972, Gershon Jacobson founded the Yiddish-language ...

, 12/04/2010
Joel Lion - Israel's media man
in The Jewish Star, 02/16/2011
Israeli Consul General comes in like a lion
in the Jewish Tribune, 30/8/2011
New Israeli envoy formerly posted in New York
in the

Canadian Jewish News The Canadian Jewish News is a non-profit, national, English-language digital-first media organization that serves Canada‘s Jewish community. A national edition of the newspaper was published for 60 years in Toronto. A weekly Montreal edition in ...

, 08/09/2011
ISRAEL GIVES HISTORIC MENORAH TO ICAO

MONTREAL WELCOMES PERES WITH LOVE AND JOY

MFA welcomes European Parliament President's endorsement of holocaust restitution

References

External links

Embassy of Israel in Ukraine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lion, Joel Living people 1964 births Yiddish-speaking people Ambassadors of Israel to Ukraine Israeli consuls Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Social Sciences alumni University of Latvia alumni Bar-Ilan University alumni