Reuven Azar

Reuven Azar
ראובן עזר
10th Ambassador of Israel to India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan
Incumbent
Assumed office August 2024
Prime Minister	Benjamin Netanyahu
Preceded by	Naor Gilon
15th Israel Ambassador to Romania
In office 10 August 2022 – August 2024
Prime Minister	Yair Lapid
Preceded by	David Saranga
Personal details
Born	Argentina
Alma mater	Hebrew University (B.A., M.A.)

Reuven Azar (Hebrew: ראובן עזר) is an Israeli diplomat who is currently serving as the Ambassador to India since August 2024. He previously served as Ambassador of Israel to Romania from 2022 to 2024.

Biography

Azar was born in Argentina in 1967, and migrated to Jerusalem with his family at age 13. He served in a Paratroopers Brigade of the IDF from 1985 to 1988.[1]

Azar was Deputy Chief of Mission for the Embassy of Israel, Washington, D.C. between 2014 and 2018. After serving in Washington he returned to Israel and served as deputy adviser for national security and foreign policy with the National Security Council and a foreign policy adviser for the prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.[2]

Azar was appointed Ambassador of Israel to Romania in January 2022[3] and assumed office in August 2022.[2]

Azar met George Simion, head of the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians, an act that drew criticism from the Yad Vashem Holocaust center.[4]

On December 17, 2023, the Israeli government approved the appointment of Azar as the new Ambassador to India, and the non-resident Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Bhutan.[5] On 6 September 2024, he along with ambassadors of four other nations presented their credentials to President of India Droupadi Murmu.[6]

References

1. "The Ambassador". Embassies of Israel, bucharest. Retrieved 17 Dec 2023.
2. "Reuven Azar takes over as Israel's ambassador to Romania". Romania Insider. Retrieved 17 Dec 2023.
3. "מינויים בשירות החוץ ותיקון החלטת ממשלה, החלטה מספר 949 של ממשלת ישראל השלושים ושש,". Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 17 Dec 2023.
4. Bachner, Michael; Berman, Lazar (28 Aug 2023). "Israeli envoy meets head of Romanian party accused of antisemitism, drawing rebuke". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 Dec 2023.
5. "Israel approves appointment of Reuven Azar as new ambassador to India". The Hindu. 18 Dec 2023. Retrieved 18 Dec 2023.
6. "Envoys Of Five Nations Present Credentials To The President Of India". Press Information Bureau. 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2024-09-08.