Israel’s designated ambassador to the United States is a leading expert on the intricacies of all aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Brig. Gen. (res.) Michael Herzog is an Israeli officer who made his mark in the military’s intelligence and planning divisions and subsequently served as chief-of-staff and military aide to several defense ministers. He monitored, planned and saw up close the developments that shaped Israel’s defense posture, the capabilities of its various agencies and preparations for the diverse challenges thrown up by the complex Middle East arena. Herzog is also the only Israeli official to have participated in all diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Arab states over the past two decades. He has represented Israeli prime ministers of all stripes, including Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite his somewhat subdued appearance and introverted character, Herzog is as close to Israeli nobility as it gets. His younger brother Isaac Herzog is the new president of Israel, his father was President Chaim Herzog, his grandfather Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog was Israel’s first Ashkenazi chief rabbi and his uncle was the celebrated Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban.
