May 25, 2015
The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs announces that its President,
Ambassador Dore Gold, will be taking a temporary leave of absence after
accepting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to assume the duties
of the Director-General of the Foreign Ministry of Israel.

The staff of the Jerusalem Center, directed by Director-General Chaya
Herskovic, will continue in its comprehensive activities in the realm of
strategy, diplomacy and security.
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Dore Gold picked as new Foreign Ministry director-general By Herb Keinon
The Jerusalem Post 05/25/2015

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the appointment Monday of his
long-time foreign policy confidant Dore Gold as director-general of the
Foreign Ministry.

Gold, a former ambassador to the United Nations and currently the head of
the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, will replace Nissim Ben-Sheetrit.
Ben Sheetrit is a veteran ministry employee who started out in the
minsitry's administrative track and then moved over to its diplomatic side.

Netanyahu, who is also the foreign minister, called in Ben-Sheetrit Monday
morning, thanked him for his service, and said he hoped that he would
continue in diplomatic service.

Ben-Sheetrit, a former ambassador to Japan, was appointed by former foreign
minister Avigdor Liberman in November 2013.

Gold is considered one of Netanyahu's top foreign policy confidants, and in
2014 became an "outside” foreign policy consultant to Netanyahu.

The American-born Gold served Netanyahu as a foreign policy advisor from
1996-1997 during the premier's first term in office, before Netanyahu
appointed him ambassador to the UN, where he served until 1999. He has been
very active in recent years lobbying on behalf of "defensible borders” for
Israel.

By appointing Gold, Netanyahu has put a close ally into a key position in
the ministry. Gold, with extensive diplomatic experience, will be working
closely in the ministry with Tzipi Hotovely, the newly appointed deputy
foreign minister.

Gold said upon his appointment that he is aware of the significant
challenges facing Israel at this time and that "it is my obligation to
defend the interests of the state.”