Anna Azari

Anna Azari
Israel Ambassador to Poland
Preceded by Zvi Rav-Ner
Assumed office
2014
Israel Ambassador to Russia
In office
2007–2010
In office
1999–2003
Personal details
Born 1959 (age 56–57)
Lithuanian SSR
Nationality Israeli
Spouse(s) Meir Azari
Alma mater University of Haifa
Hebrew University
National Security College

Anna Azari (born 1959) is an Israeli diplomat and former Ambassador of Israel to Russia. She is currently the Ambassador of Israel to Poland. She was born in the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1959 and immigrated to Israel with her family in 1972.[1][2] Azari attended University of Haifa where she earned a bachelor’s degree in history and English literature and a master’s in political science. She also garnered a Special Programme in Russian Studies from Hebrew University and graduated from the National Security College.[3]

She has been in the Israeli Foreign Ministry since the 1980s and lived in San Francisco from 1989 to 1992, where she served as consulate general of Israel to the Pacific Northwest.[4][3] Azari held the position of first secretary for the Embassy of Israel in Moscow from 1995 to 1997.[2] Beginning in 1999, she served as the Ambassador of Israel to both Ukraine and Moldova and was described by the Ukrainian press as one of the country's most popular foreign diplomats before she left the post in 2003.[1]

On the day of the September 11 attacks, Azari was meeting with a delegation of physicians from Chicago and Atlanta-based Jewish Healthcare International to discuss their collaborative work with Ukrainian health professionals. The meeting was interrupted when they learned of the attacks and they watched news coverage of the attacks in the meeting room until the embassy was ordered to be evacuated.[5] Following her tenure in Ukraine, Azari ran the Ministry's Eurasia Department where she handled relations with former Soviet states.[4] During this time she was considered to be one of several candidates that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could choose to appoint as head of Nativ.[6][7]

She was appointed as ambassador to Russia by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in 2006 and presented her credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin on 18 January 2007.[8][9] Over the course of her tenure, Israel and Russia agreed to eliminate the visa requirement for tourists traveling between the two countries and Russia ended a deal to sell Iran S-300 surface-to-air missiles.[1] Dorit Golander was chosen to replace Azari in 2009 and she left the post in the summer of 2010.[10][1] In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta prior to her departure, Azari stated that relations between Israel and Russia had improved markedly and that she saw the level of diplomatic activity nearing a par with Russia's relations with bigger countries, such as Germany.[11]

Azari is married to Rabbi Meir Azari who leads the Reform Judaism congregation of Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv and together they have two children.[2][3] When her appointment as ambassador to Russia was announced, Greer Fay Cashman of The Jerusalem Post suggested her marriage could be a source of contention with orthodox religious communities in Russia.[2] An outspoken rabbi from San Francisco, Martin S. Weiner, faced criticism from Azari in 1991 when he voiced support for a move by then U.S. President George H. W. Bush that delayed loan guarantees to Israel.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kramer, Stephen (12 November 2010). "Russia-Israel Relations". Jewish Times of South Jersey. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cashman, Greer Fay. "Grapevine: How do you say 'traffic' in Korean?". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Conference Call with Ambassador Azari, August 12, 2010". The Israel Project. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Putin accepts Israeli ambassador's credentials". Israel Today. 23 January 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  5. ↑ Gidwitz, Betsy. "September 2001 In Ukraine". Betsy Gidwitz Reports. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  6. ↑ Krieger, Hilary Leila. "PM to name new head for Nativ". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  7. ↑ Melman, Yossi (19 September 2005). "A professional should run Nativ". Haaretz. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  8. ↑ Benn, Aluf (30 June 2006). "FM Livni convenes appointments panel for first time in months". Haaretz. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  9. ↑ "Vladimir Putin accepted the letters of credential of foreign ambassadors.". The Kremlin, Moscow: Presidential Press and Information Office. 18 January 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  10. ↑ "At the Weekly Cabinet Meeting 20.12.2009". Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  11. ↑ Yershov, Yuriy (9 August 2010). "Outgoing Israeli envoy to Russia reflects on stint in Moscow.". Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  12. ↑ Wall, Alexandra J. (23 May 2003). "Rabbi Weiner retires from Sherith Israel Saying goodbye after 32 years". j. Retrieved 17 April 2013.

External links

TAU Guest Speaker:Anna Azari, Ambassador of Israel to the Russian Federation, 2006–2010


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