BICOM

Mark Regev officially began his tenure as Israel’s Ambassador to the UK yesterday, presenting his credentials to the Foreign Office.

Regev was appointed to become Israel’s Ambassador in London in August last year, but remained in Israel to continue in his role as foreign media spokesman to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the meantime, Israel’s Deputy Ambassador Eitan Na’eh fulfilled ambassadorial duties as the mission’s most senior diplomat. However, 55-year-old Regev arrived in London yesterday and presented his credentials to the Foreign Office, signifying that he has officially taken up his post. He said via social media, “It’s now official. Excited to be here.”

Originally from Australia, Regev moved to Israel in 1982 and became a lecturer in international relations and strategy at the IDF Staff College. He joined Israel’s Foreign Ministry in 1990 and served as the deputy chief of mission at the consulate in Hong Kong and as spokesman at the embassies in Washington DC and Beijing.

Regev served as the spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry between 2004 and 2007, before being appointed as the Prime Minister’s foreign media spokesperson. It is a roll in which he gained international prominence as a regular and widely respected voice across international media outlets. Regev became one of Israel’s most erudite and robust public advocates at some of the country’s most difficult recent moments, including conflicts with Hamas in the Gaza Strip in 2008, 2012 and 2014. On his departure from the role, Netanyahu described Regev as an “exceptional” spokesman and said that his successor has “big shoes to fill.”

As Israel’s Ambassador in London, Regev succeeds Daniel Taub, who spent four years in the role. He moves into the role with UK-Israel trade having grown rapidly in recent years and currently worth in excess of £4.5 billion. Meanwhile, bilateral relations continue to grow in numerous fields including intelligence sharing, science, health and education.