August 1st 2016, New York

This morning, Ambassador Dani Dayan arrived in New York to assume his responsibilities as the 20th Consul General of the State of Israel in New York. Ambassador Dayan was personally appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March 2016, having previously served as Chairman of the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria and as the Council’s Chief Foreign Envoy.

Upon his arrival, Ambassador Dayan declared: “It is a profound honor to serve as the senior representative of the State of Israel in one of the greatest cities the world has ever seen. New York is hailed as the global capital of media, culture and commerce, and so representing Israel to New York is representing Israel to the world.  This city is also home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel, and I come deeply committed to reinforcing the bond between the Jewish State and the many different Jewish communities of New York.

“I look forward to engaging in honest, authentic conversation with the widest range of voices – from progressive to conservative; highly critical to staunchly supportive; and with the rich diversity of ethnic, cultural, religious and racial communities of New York and the surrounding areas.”

As Consul General of Israel in New York, Ambassador Dayan will be the official interlocutor between the State of Israel and community leaders, elected officials, media organizations, corporate executives and civil society throughout New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Delaware. He will stand at the helm of Israel’s largest diplomatic mission.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1955, Dayan immigrated to Israel in 1971. He is fluent in English, Hebrew and Spanish and holds an M.Sc. In Finance from Tel Aviv University and a B.Sc. in Economics and Computer Science from Bar Ilan University. Dayan began his professional career in tech entrepreneurship, founding an information systems company in 1982 and serving as its CEO and Chairman of the Board.

Prior to moving to New York, Ambassador Dayan lived in Ma’ale Shomron, in central Samaria, with his wife and daughter.