List of Ambassadors of Israel to France

Maurice Fischer represented the provisional government of the State of Israel in France when France extended de facto recognition on January 24, 1949.[2] He later served as Israel's diplomatic representative in France and eventually as ambassador until 1953, while also heading the Israeli delegation to UNESCO.[3] A U.S. State Department historical index, however, identifies Fischer as Israel's minister in France until 1953, when he became ambassador to Turkey.[4]

Jacob Tsur is identified by the Israel State Archives as Israel's ambassador in Paris in 1955. The archival bibliography also lists his memoir, Paris Diary, 1953–1956: The Diplomatic Campaign in France, although the cited material does not establish the precise beginning and end dates of his tenure.[5]

Walter Eytan served as Israel's ambassador to France from 1959 to 1970.[6] Before his appointment to Paris, he was director-general of Israel's Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 1948 to 1959 and headed Israeli delegations to the 1949 Rhodes armistice negotiations and the Lausanne Conference.[6]

His tenure included the 1967 Six-Day War. A U.S. diplomatic record from August 1967 cited a report from "Israeli Ambassador Eytan in Paris," based on conversations with French military figures concerning Charles de Gaulle's position toward Israel.[7]

Asher Ben-Natan was appointed Israel's ambassador to France in 1970.[8] He had previously served as Israel's first ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany from 1965 to 1969.[8] A memoir described him as the only person in Israel's short history at that time to have served as ambassador to both Germany and France.[9]

An account in Sapir Journal describes Ben-Natan arriving in Paris in 1970 as a seasoned ambassador and observing growing difficulties in Israeli-French relations because some elements in France had adopted anti-Israel attitudes.[10]

Meir Rosenne served as Israel's ambassador to France from 1979 to 1983.[11] He participated in Israeli diplomatic and peace-negotiation delegations, including the Camp David negotiations and the drafting of the Camp David Accords. He subsequently served as Israel's ambassador to the United States from 1983 to 1987.[11]

Ovadia Sofer served as Israel's ambassador to France for approximately nine years, although the cited report does not give the dates of his term.[12] A 1986 archival briefing identified him as ambassador while recounting his contacts in Paris with Soviet ambassador Yuli Vorontsov and officials attending a reception hosted by French President François Mitterrand.[13] A separate 1984 archival document records Sofer making a public appeal for peace and cooperation between Jews and Arabs.[14]

Eliyahu Ben-Elissar also served as Israel's ambassador to France after serving as Israel's first ambassador to Egypt. The verified source does not specify the dates of his Paris posting.[15]

Yehuda Lancry served as Israel's ambassador to France from 1992 to 1995. Before his diplomatic appointment, he had been mayor of Shlomi and a guest lecturer in French literature at the University of Haifa.[16]

Avi Pazner served as Israel's ambassador to France from 1995 to 1998.[17] Recalling the beginning of his tenure, Pazner said: "I arrived around the time of Rabin's murder, which shocked France."[17]

Eli Barnavi, a Tel Aviv University historian, is identified as a former Israeli ambassador to France, although the verified source does not give the dates of his service.[18] Nissim Zvili served as Israel's ambassador to France from 2002 to 2005.[19]

Daniel Shek is also identified as a former ambassador to France and as an expert in Israel–European Union relations.[20] The verified sources do not specify the beginning or end dates of his tenure.[21]

Yossi Gal served as Israel's ambassador to France from 2010 to 2015.[22] Aliza Bin-Noun succeeded him and stepped down at the end of 2019.[22] Talya Lador-Fresher, formerly Israel's ambassador to Austria, temporarily headed the Paris mission as chargé d'affaires in 2020 rather than as a full ambassador.[22]

Yael German was appointed Israel's ambassador to France by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in August 2021.[23] She resigned on December 29, 2022, in protest against the newly formed government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, writing that she could not continue serving as Israel's representative under those circumstances.[24]

The official website of the Israeli Embassy in France identifies Joshua L. Zarka as ambassador and states that he assumed his duties in May 2024.[25]

The following officeholders are documented in the sources consulted. The roster remains incomplete because exact dates are unavailable for several ambassadors:

• Maurice Fischer — diplomatic representative and eventually ambassador, until 1953[3][2]
• Jacob Tsur — ambassador in Paris in 1955; exact term dates not established[5]
• Walter Eytan — ambassador, 1959–1970[6]
• Asher Ben-Natan — appointed ambassador in 1970[8]
• Meir Rosenne — ambassador, 1979–1983[11]
• Ovadia Sofer — ambassador for approximately nine years; documented in archival records from the 1980s[12][13]
• Eliyahu Ben-Elissar — ambassador, dates not established[15]
• Yehuda Lancry — ambassador, 1992–1995[16]
• Avi Pazner — ambassador, 1995–1998[17]
• Eli Barnavi — ambassador, dates not established[18]
• Nissim Zvili — ambassador, 2002–2005[19]
• Daniel Shek — ambassador, dates not established[20]
• Yossi Gal — ambassador, 2010–2015[22]
• Aliza Bin-Noun — ambassador until the end of 2019[22]
• Yael German — appointed in August 2021 and resigned in December 2022[23][24]
• Joshua L. Zarka — ambassador from May 2024[25]

The sources consulted do not provide a single complete official roster of every Israeli ambassador to France since the establishment of the state. Several ambassadors are confirmed without complete dates of service, including Jacob Tsur, Eliyahu Ben-Elissar, Eli Barnavi, and Daniel Shek. The sources also do not establish every handoff between the documented officeholders.

Talya Lador-Fresher served as interim chargé d'affaires in 2020 and is therefore not included among the full ambassadors.[22] Freddy Eytan served in Israel's embassies in Paris and Brussels, but the verified source identifies him as Israel's first ambassador to Mauritania rather than as ambassador to France.[26]